Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
You’ve probably noticed more and more employees sporting Fitbit devices lately—wearable gadgets that track everything from steps to sleep time to heart rate and more. As with almost anything that tracks personal health-related data, however, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) comes into play.
We’re in the process of rewriting our employee handbook, and we want to modify our employee appearance policy. What do we need to consider? We want our employees to look professional, but we don’t want to get caught in a lawsuit. —Ronald W., San Jose
By Norm Keith With the introduction of the Bill C-45 amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada, occupational health and safety regulation, prosecution and conviction have been on the rise across the country. Recently, Vale Canada Limited and Metron Construction were given record fines in occupational health and safety and criminal negligence convictions, respectively.
By Ida Martin and Brian Smeenk The City of Mississauga was recently embarrassed by a video of two of its employees duct-taped together. They were squirming around on a table, taped by their hands, torsos, and feet. This was apparently a routine employee hazing. It was leaked to the media by an employee who had […]
By Kyla Stott-Jess Over the last month, the Canadian news media has devoted significant time to covering the Jian Ghomeshi scandal. Aside from the celebrity gossip factor, the story has had such staying power because it touches on so many controversial issues—BDSM (Bondage & Discipline / Domination & Submission / Sadism & Masochism), sexual consent, […]
More of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have been officially implemented this year, and organizations still have many questions as to which rules and regulations apply to them. With wellness programs becoming more common, some wonder if they are governed by the ACA (and if so, what they need to train for). […]
With the July 4th weekend upon us, it’s worth noting how much the Declaration of Independence changed the nation—and the world. In the spirit of Independence Day, ask yourself, How do I manage change at my organization? In today’s Advisor, we provide a few do’s and don’ts surrounding the issue. Here are some facts about […]
Many times, the easiest way to train managers about HR issues is to ask them to imagine themselves on the witness stand. When they realize what they will have to admit to, they learn fast. “I fired him for no reason” This is the statement that “at-will believers” will have to make on the witness […]
Large-scale race bias lawsuits are the latest legal problem facing a number of high-profile employers. A race discrimination case filed against Microsoft by an African-American former account executive could expand into a $5 billion class action lawsuit. Rahn Jackson claimed that the software giant repeatedly denied him promotions because of his race. Now a lawyer who […]
by Rachel Younan Recent case law has overwhelmingly rejected termination clauses that purport to limit an employee’s entitlements upon termination to the minimum notice required by applicable employment standards legislation. In Ontario, provisions that have failed to reference severance pay and/or benefit continuation have been found to be invalid, resulting in common law notice that […]