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Work Criticisms Don’t Equal Adverse Action

When Specialty Restaurants Corp. (SRC) hired Alberto Pinero as general manager of Luminarias in Monterey Park, Pinero had an age bias lawsuit pending against his former employer that he didn’t tell SRC about. When SRC’s chief executive learned about the suit, he tried to persuade Pinero to drop it on the grounds that it was […]

Common-sense Steps Can Reduce Privacy Risks From Mobile Devices

The proliferation of mobile devices has blurred the line between employer and employee information, and created new threats to sensitive data that are all too well chronicled. But common-sense steps can still be taken to minimize these risks without stifling the usefulness of these new tools, two data privacy and security experts said in a […]

Detroit bankruptcy: a new path

by Robert M. Vercruysse Detroit is leading the pack again. Unfortunately, the ignominious trail the Motor City is blazing leads to federal bankruptcy. Although Detroit is the largest U.S. city to take this path to date, the financial difficulties it hopes to solve are hardly unique in recent years. Detroit’s experience could establish a workable […]

Don’t Terminate Without the Right Policies

Terminations — where the rubber meets the road in HR. The most angst, the most tears (or screams), and the most lawsuits. Your terminations policy is critical. Today, courtesy of BLR’s SmartPolicies® program, we’ll review the key elements your policy should cover.

Workers’ compensation realities: Creating effective return-to-work programs

Whenever an employee has to miss work due to an injury that was covered under workers’ compensation, it is in everyone’s best interest to get the employee back to work as quickly as possible. Implementing a good “return-to-work” program allows employers to maximize employee productive work time by returning an injured or previously ill employee […]

Independent Contractor vs. Employee

by Gary S. Fealk Businesses often find it advantageous to hire independent contractors to perform a variety of duties in place of employees. Using independent contractors can reduce expenses for payroll taxes and benefits, avoid the impact of laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and […]

Case signals lower threshold for mental distress when cause allegation fails

By Thora Sigurdson The British Columbia Supreme Court recently awarded damages for mental distress in the context of a termination for cause. The decision in George v. Cowichan Tribes signals that it may be easier to establish such a claim when there is a just cause allegation that fails, compared with terminations without cause. It […]

How Employers Can Avoid Becoming an EEOC Statistic: Part 2

by Amy M. McLaughlin In part one of this article, we discussed the increase in the number of discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against private-sector employers since 2006. In 2006, the EEOC saw it’s first increase in charge filings in four years. By 2008, the number of discrimination claims filed […]

List Identifies Canada’s Top 10 Employers

by Karen Sargeant Wondering if your company is a “best employer?” Canada’s Financial Post magazine recently identified Canada’s Top 10. The winners span the country. They include some of Canada’s best known companies, as well as some that are only well-known within their industry sector. The Financial Post contacted 16,000 private-sector employers to participate in […]