Gruntled Employees listed the thirty riskiest firings and emphasized that just because firing one of the listed employees is risky does not mean that an employer should not do it. 

I want to add to the relevant considerations.  If an employer has an employee who did not get paid for all time worked (#22) or who did not receive all overtime pay (#23), the employer should get its house in order.  Otherwise, summary judgment will be mighty difficult. 

Of course, there is not much an employer can do about #29 – those pesky employees who “are related to, friendly with, or live near a lawyer.”  Who would want to be friendly with a lawyer?