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Blowing Holes in Collective Agreements

by Emilie Paquin-Holmested and Dominique Monet The Supreme Court of Canada, in Québec (Procureur général) c. Syndicat de la fonction publique, recently struck down a clause in a collective agreement. The clause in question prevented certain employees from challenging discipline through grievance arbitration. The Court declared the clause void because it contravened a statutory minimum […]

Keeping Drugs and Alcohol Out of Your Workplace: BLR Announces an Important Audio Conference

Most drug and alcohol abusers seek work—and some may be filling out applications in your lobby right now. What are the legal, workable, and effective ways to keep them out? As we reported in yesterday’s Advisor, most abusers of drugs and alcohol are in the workplace, but they aren’t doing you any favors by being […]

drug test

Reader’s Story: ‘Do I Really Need to Take the Drug Test?’

Drug tests are behind a number of strange but true workplace stories. A few years ago there was the wife who put marijuana in her husband’s meatballs instead of oregano to get him fired from his life-threatening job—he was a cop. And then, there was the man who asked his friend to shoot him to […]

What do employees want? Money ranks right up there

Employers spend a lot of time and energy striving for engaged workers, the kind of employees who are happy, productive, and devoted to their jobs. But finding ways to recruit and retain those employees takes understanding what workers value most from an employer, and that gets complicated. Some employers emphasize their commitment to flexibility and […]

Washington state latest to pass social media privacy law

Employers in Washington state should take note of a new law prohibiting them from requiring current or prospective employees to provide access to their social media accounts. Washington is the eighth state to pass such a law, and the National Conference of State Legislatures says 33 states are considering similar bills this year. The federal […]

How Can You Communicate if You Don’t Talk?

In yesterday’s Advisor, consultant Andrew Botwin offered tips on “getting a seat at the table.” Today, his tips for communicating with the C-Suite, plus an introduction to Wage & Hour Compliance: Practical Solutions for HR. “How the hell can you communicate if you refuse to talk to people?” Consultant Andrew Botwin quoted auto industry icon […]

Was Truck Driver Owed Overtime under MCA Exemption?

By Arielle B. Sepulveda, JD The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—recently ruled that an employee who worked on both large trucks—the operation of which is exclusively regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)—and smaller vehicles was entitled to overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

FMLA Was My Favorite (When I Was a Plaintiffs’ Lawyer)

“FMLA was one of my favorite statutes when I was a plaintiffs’ lawyer,” says Attorney Tam Yelling. The law had a great intent, she adds, but it confuses employers. Yelling says that understanding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is simple: Two sentences sum up what employers need to do. Of course, Yelling has […]