Call it overly cautious or squeamish, but trained HR people generally frown upon disciplining employees by choking them.

However, according to reports of a newly filed lawsuit, this well-established taboo apparently didn’t sink in to the CEO of American Apparel who throttled the former manager of his Malibu store (and called him anti-gay slurs). He only ceased his act of employee discipline when the manager began to gag – at which point the CEO, understandably frustrated by such resistance to his authority, threw dirt in the manager’s face.  Guess the manager is not likely to act up again!

After careful thought, we think that this is not a particularly good way to discipline employees or to gain their respect, or at least their cooperation.  Better not to do it.   However, it is a good way to get sued for assault, battery, and discrimination, and to get brought up on criminal charges.