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Cell Phones in Cars—Employees Crash, Company Burns

More and more often, accident victims are suing the employers when employees cause accidents while talking on cell phones. Today we look at a classic case—and what it means for your organization. (The following scenario, courtesy of our sister newsletter, the Safety Daily Advisor, is based on a real case.) Valerie Walker used her car […]

Noncompetes Often a Nonstarter

By Gulu Punia and Kyla Stott-Jess Signing a noncompete agreement can potentially provide some assurance that former employees will not start up or join the competing business across the street. In the absence of a noncompete agreement, employers often try to rely on their former employees’ fiduciary duties to combat competition. Unfortunately, Alberta’s Court of […]

Extraordinary damages not automatic in ‘cause’ cases

by Keri Bennett In Canada, courts can award two extraordinary forms of damages in a wrongful dismissal action: aggravated damages or punitive damages. In a wrongful dismissal action, employees who are terminated for cause often claim that they should be awarded aggravated and/or punitive damages in addition to reasonable notice damages. In a recent decision […]

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6 Tips for More Effective Public Speaking

We’ve all heard the old pseudo-statistic that people are more afraid of public speaking than death. Although this might be hyperbole (would most people honestly rather die than speak in public?), the point is that public speaking is something many people are afraid of and few excel at. But despite this, anyone can improve on this […]

Final ‘blacklisting’ rule for federal contractors issued

The long-awaited regulations implementing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order—often called the “blacklisting” rule—were made final on August 24, even though change may be on the way as a result of litigation and legislation. The final rule, announced by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, will take […]

ADA: Did Employer Have the Right to Discharge Employee for Lingering Wound?

By Libby Rasmussen, JD Employers can find themselves between a rock and a hard place when an employee’s illness or injury poses a risk to other people—e.g., patients, customers, and colleagues. Employers have an understandable desire to keep others out of harm’s way, but they could face a disability discrimination suit if they don’t execute […]