Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Stress. Just the word triggers anxiety. Human resources professionals well understand the toll stress can take on workers’ health and productivity, but is there a way to leverage stress so that it does more good than harm? Can a change in a stressed out employee’s mindset turn a worrisome experience into an exercise in personal […]
by Teresa Shulda Halloween is a lot of fun for both kids and adults. When else can we wear inappropriate costumes, gorge on unlimited candy, and create a Walking Dead display in our front yard? But when the spectral mist of Halloween creeps into the workplace, things can get really scary. Here are some real-life […]
Remember NBC’s The Office? I think some lawyers used to blog about it. Anyhow, one of my favorite episodes was “Costume Contest” where the Scranton employees threw a Halloween party at the branch office. The costumes in the episode were mostly tame, ranging from Justin Bieber (Ryan) to Lady Gaga (Gabe). Late in the episode Angela […]
by Nicole Singh In May 2015, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario issued an unprecedented decision when it awarded two temporary foreign workers more than $200,000 in damages for injury to dignity, feelings, and self-respect resulting from sexual harassment in employment.
by Scott A. Holt Significant time, money, and resources often go into developing client relationships, so it is only natural that businesses take steps to protect those intangible assets. Many employers require employees who have significant contact with clients to sign nonsolicitation agreements. However, executing and enforcing nonsolicitation agreements are two different matters. Like traditional […]
by Andy Rodman One of employers’ most common complaints about administering Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave is employees’ tendency to abuse intermittent leave. What if you find out that an employee out on FMLA leave for 10 weeks to care for her spouse, who has a serious health condition, was seen working for […]
On October 12, 2015, Steve Sarkisian was fired as head coach of the University of Southern California (USC) football team. While USC contends Sarkisian was fired for “cause,” there is no question that his alcohol-related behavior led to his termination. Whether the termination was or was not properly for “cause” is relevant, in part, because […]
by David McDonald In Canada, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia recently issued a decision narrowing the possibility for employers to use re-employment offers to support an argument that an estranged employee has failed to mitigate damages by refusing to come back to work.
by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. Under the newly proposed overtime regulations for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the most significant changes are to the minimum salary threshold that must be met for an employee to qualify as exempt. It’s important to understand what types of compensation are included in determining whether “minimum threshold salary” […]
You’d think employees would be eager enough for their paychecks that they would make sure to turn in time sheets promptly. But that’s not always the case, and employers may be tempted to withhold pay as a not-so-gentle reminder for workers to submit their hours on time. That’s temptation best avoided, though, according to attorneys […]