Tag: Employment law

An abbreviated case for cause

by Keri Bennett We all know litigation is expensive. That’s particularly true when an employer seeks to justify a for-cause termination. But there may be an alternative to protracted litigation. In Cotter v. Point Grey Golf and Country Club, the British Columbia Supreme Court proceeded in an abbreviated way. It recently allowed a for-cause termination […]

A refresher on successfully defending EEOC and other agency charges

by Ryann E. Ricchio Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charges have clearly become a cost of doing business for many (if not most) employers today. Like anything else, employers can get into a routine—or maybe even a “rut”—in investigating and responding to charges. This article provides a refresher on how to successfully defend EEOC and […]

Keeping it real: litigation insights from ‘Making a Murderer’

It’s mid-January, and I’m sitting in my office writing this post while snow falls outside. (Yes, we get snow in South Carolina and, yes, it terrifies us.) The snow, however, reminds me of the frozen northern Wisconsin landscapes featured in my latest binge-watching favorite, Netflix’s Making a Murderer.  If you’ve not seen it yet, Making a Murderer […]

Workplace violence: Using threat assessment to reduce risk

Workplace violence—it’s a subject so difficult and so frightening that employers may feel paralyzed when considering how to prevent it. If someone is showing violent tendencies, an employer may want to fire the employee to remove the threat. But what if that’s the action that triggers more rage, worsening the risk instead of reducing it? […]

The effects of impending minimum wage increases

by Cornell Bang The effort to increase the minimum wage at the federal, state, and municipal level continues to gain momentum. At the municipal level, Los Angeles voted in 2015 to increase its minimum wage from $9 an hour to $15 by 2020, San Francisco voted in 2014 to raise its minimum wage from $12.25 […]

The best resolution for the New Year: Get your FMLA program in shape

by Maria Reed Every New Year brings the tradition of making resolutions—whether it’s to lose weight, save money, volunteer more, or travel. While those are admirable personal resolutions, companies should have their own resolutions to ensure their businesses are on track for the upcoming year. A top priority should be to get your Family and […]

The Intern: delightful movie—risky employment practice

Well, the Golden Globes were Sunday night and all of Hollywood tuned it to celebrate the best of film and television. One movie that was noticeably absent from the nominations (at least in my opinion) was The Intern, a heartwarming film starring Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway, that tells the story of a lovable retiree […]

Investigations by lawyers: Privileged, or not privileged, that is the question

by Monique Orieux In Canada, an employer may retain a lawyer to conduct a workplace investigation, particularly where the issue under investigation is of a sensitive nature. One reason for doing so is to attempt to keep the investigator’s notes, supporting documents, and final report from being disclosed to a third party as privileged. However, […]

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Workplace safety in an age of viral panic

by Jo Ellen Whitney In a world with a 24-hour news cycle, multiple TV channels specifically designated to the news, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and a constant news machine that needs to be fed, the adage “If it bleeds, it leads” has more power than ever before. In late 2014, we saw a good example of […]