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In ‘denial’: Alberta Court of Appeal revisits addiction in the workplace

by Hannah Roskey The Alberta Court of Appeal recently released its decision in Stewart v. Elk Valley Coal Corporation, a must-read for Canadian employers dealing with employee addiction issues. In lengthy reasons, a majority of the court agreed that there was no discrimination when an employee under the influence of cocaine was fired following a […]

Five Steps to Protect Your Company from Claims under New ADA

by Jonathan R. Mook Even though the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) hasn’t issued final regulations on the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) yet, you still must comply with the ADAAA, which took effect at the beginning of last year. In this article, we’re addressing the defense of claims under the new Americans with Disabilities Act […]

Leading, Unofficially

This edition of The Oswald Letter is a guest post from Elizabeth Petersen, Project Director for Simplify Compliance. For most of us, the path to becoming a leader starts years before an official leadership title and a team of employees are granted.

Note from Boss Saved 50 Years: Little Things Do Matter

By Elaine Quayle, BLR EditorJust My E-pinion We may think that small tokens of appreciation don’t matter to workers, but here’s the story of a boss’s congratulatory letter that was treasured for 50 years. My mother put only her most valuable things in her white leather jewelry box. And since her jewelry collection was meager, […]

Benefits Remain a Key Tool for Retention and Recruitment

In spite of major changes in the healthcare landscape, small-business owners looking to recruit and retain top employees still need to pay close attention to their benefits offerings. According to the 2015 Aflac WorkForces Report for Small Businesses, a majority of workers employed in small businesses are willing to consider a job with slightly lower […]

Warm Up Your Training This Winter

Space heaters are a quick way to heat things up in a drafty office or workspace, but they can increase the risks of fire and electric shock if not used properly. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not specifically prohibit use of portable electric heaters, but the safety agency does require that any […]

change

The HR diet: how to change things one bite at a time

by Jo Ellen Whitney Sometimes it seems you can’t turn on the television, open a magazine, read a newspaper, or look at the Twitterverse without hearing all about the latest diet craze. Despite what marketers have been selling for ages, we all know that none of those promises is true. Any kind of drastic change, […]

Paid leave among priorities in DOL budget proposal

A $2 billion paid leave initiative as well as millions for enforcement of laws on equal opportunity, wage and hour issues, safety, whistleblowing, and retirement security are among the priorities outlined in President Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2016 budget for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). On February 2, the DOL announced that the budget […]