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Labor Arbitrators Have More Scope than Courts, Supreme Court Says

By Brian P. Smeenk Canadian labor arbitrators are not legally bound to court-made legal rules. Rules of evidence, for example, are more relaxed. Rules of contract interpretation may also vary. But just how far arbitrators can deviate from general rules of law has been an open question. A recent decision by the Supreme Court of […]

Obesity Epidemic in Your Workplace? CDC Can Help

There’s an "obesity epidemic" in the U.S., and that means there’s probably one at your workplace, too. Obesity is a natural target for wellness programs. The effects of obesity—from cardiac problems to diabetes—are dire, but they are reversible through exercise, diet, and nutrition. What works best to reduce obesity? The Centers for Disease Control and […]

Voters to decide on Anchorage collective bargaining ordinance

by Tom Daniel When voters in Anchorage go to the polls in November, they will decide the fate of a local ordinance that reins in the collective bargaining rights of municipal employees. A referendum to repeal the local ordinance known as the Responsible Labor Act will be part of the November 4 ballot. The ordinance, […]

Wells Fargo Shells Out For Alleged Overtime Violations

Wells Fargo & Co. has agreed to pay $12.8 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the bank improperly classified certain business-systems employees in California and other states as exempt from overtime, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The suit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, alleged that Wells […]

‘Your Honor, the Real Reason Was Performance’ (and I’m a Liar)

In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at five things you never want to have to say in court; today, three more, and an introduction to the all-in-one solutions website for HR managers. ‘No, really it was performance’ This is the standard “now I’m changing my story” line. Here’s the scenario: you fire someone whose performance has […]

The Cardinal Way

I’m a St. Louis Cardinal lifer so, for most Major League baseball fans out there, you probably assume I’m insufferable. (You may be right.) Still, don’t look for me to apologize that we’re in first place, have been for pretty much the entire season, and boast the best record in baseball. The postseason is upon […]

In Praise of Checklists

This week, instead of posting on his own blog, Dan wrote a book review of The Checklist Manifesto for the Resources for Humans blog.  Here’s an excerpt. “I had been thinking recently about the importance of a good “to do” list, so when I stumbled upon the Atul Gawande’s book The Checklist Manifesto: How to […]

Hot List: Wall Street Journal’s Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the Wall Street Journal with data from Nielsen BookScan. 1. Get Rich Click!: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money on the Internet by Marc Ostrofsky. Includes strategies and techniques for the Internet entrepreneur and real-life success stories about people who made […]

Hiring Athletes as Employees

Once a colleague told me that he thought hiring former athletes was a risky proposition. His take was that while they were often charismatic, on average they just weren’t as smart as most. I politely reminded him that I considered myself a former athlete (with the emphasis on “former”), to which he had to think […]