Discipline meeting: Offer open door, easy exit.

Discipline, termination or investigation meetings can get heated. But make sure supervisors understand the potential legal risks of these meetings, including claims of "false imprisonment" for blocking the employee's exit or telling her she can't leave.

To avoid such claims, make sure such meetings are private, yet open. Allow the person to sit by an unlocked door with nothing blocking her exit. Don't imply that she can't leave the room. In fact, let employees know they can take a break at any time.

Conduct the meeting in a calm, deliberate manner. Workers (and a court) could perceive forceful statements and a blocked exit as false imprisonment.

Recent case: Therese, a nurse at a medical facility in Washington state, was called into a meeting with her boss in a conference room. The boss began pointing out Therese's alleged performance mistakes.

For about 15 minutes they argued over these critiques. Therese remained seated, but then she said her blood pressure was rising and asked to leave. She went home and never returned.

She sued the medical facility for false imprisonment and intentional infliction of...