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By Brian Shapland, general manager of turnstone Startup culture is known for its agile workplaces, passionate founders, and “work hard, play hard” approach to getting things done. But these days it isn’t just Silicon Valley’s latest billion-dollar valuations grabbing headlines—it’s legacy giants like Ford, Cisco, and others looking to activate or awaken a sense of startup […]
By Ralph Nero, Ross Gascho, and Keri Bennett As in the United States, some Canadian employers have attempted to eliminate or reduce post-retirement benefits in order to address escalating costs. In two recent cases, Canadian employers were found to be not entitled to reduce post-retirement health and life insurance benefits. Courts in both Ontario and […]
by Leslie A. Sammon Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination by all private employers, state and local governments, and educational institutions with 15 or more employees. We are all familiar with Title VII’s prohibition against sex discrimination in the workplace. In recent years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), […]
Tuesday, January 4, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) hosted a live Q&A Web chat to discuss its regulatory priorities for the next several months and to answer questions. Phyllis Borzi, assistant secretary for EBSA, started the session by stating that the focus of the chat would be on EBSA’s pension initiatives that appear in […]
By Deanah Shelly A few summers ago, Ontario employers were surprised by a monthlong young worker safety inspection blitz. During the blitz, Ontario Ministry of Labour inspectors visited 2,024 workplaces across Ontario and issued 5,862 orders. Of those, 105 were stop-work orders, forcing workplaces to stop production until they complied with the listed requirements. On […]
It’s a familiar lament coming from employers: They struggle to hire people with the skills they need even when jobseekers line up at their doors. The skills gap has been a worry for years, and employers, educators, workers, and government officials have long touted apprenticeship as at least part of the solution. But the concept […]
Here are a few of our most popular Halloween-themed articles from the Strange but True! archives. An Employer’s Worst Nightmare—A few years ago, we reported on a bookkeeper who was charged with stealing $6.9 million from her employer. The prosecutors presented a list of goods that the woman allegedly bought during a shopping spree with […]
As gasoline prices soar into the stratosphere, millions of Americans are wondering how they can alter their commutes to work in hopes of driving less and lowering their cost of living. Employers can do their part to help employees beat the rising costs of commuting—and help the nation conserve natural resources—and many businesses are already […]
Administering FMLA leave can be made easier if you have a clear procedure that employees understand and can easily utilize when the need for leave arises. One critical component of this process is the need to notify employees of whether or not they are eligible for FMLA leave and what their responsibilities are while they’re […]
Employers in New Jersey with at least 25 employees must provide up to 20 days of unpaid leave to employees affected by domestic violence as of October 1, when the New Jersey Security and Financial Empowerment (SAFE) Act takes effect. Under the law, employers must allow leave to any employee who is a victim of […]