Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Hadiya Roderique Working notice — the default under many pieces of employment standards in Canada — can be a way to reduce an organization’s cost of termination of employment. But what happens when an employee quits in response to getting fired before the end of the notice period? And what happens when the working […]
Litigation value: $150,000. This isn’t Hooters, Dwight. Requiring Kathy to flirt with customers is sexual harassment. Additional damages if Todd Packer plays his sexual predator role as well as we suspect he can. “Bloggers are gross. Bloggers are obese. Bloggers have halitosis.” — Dwight Shrute Sticks and stones, Dwight. Sticks and stones. Dwight should be […]
by Craig L. Olivo Q: An exempt employee was out for a week. He had eight hours of accrued sick time, which he used before coming in and working two unauthorized hours at the end of the week. Are we required to pay him for the whole week? A: Generally, under the Fair Labor Standards […]
The old saying goes that the devil is in the details. When considering the doctrine of at-will employment, it may be more correct to say the answers are in the details. But, that doesn’t mean some of those details aren’t a bit devilish to decipher. HR professionals often struggle with termination decisions. The decision is […]
By Chris Semerjian When Canadian employers are buying other businesses, the question of noncompetes often arises. But a noncompetition provision in an employment contract may not be the answer. According to the Quebec Court of Appeal in Guay Inc. c. Payette, 2011 QCCA 2282, you may be better protected by only having a noncompetition covenant […]
Litigation Value: Cathy showing Jim the “Talla-Nasty” = yet more fodder for Jim’s sexual harassment lawsuit; five dots = a murky texting area and potential lawsuit for Darryl; and watching Dwight work himself into a human bedbug trap = priceless. This After Hours episode has the gang engaging in conduct that should make any human resources […]
The story of a Chicago woman fired from her job after she was caught working on her lunch break made national news earlier this year. It struck a chord with the general public because people were questioning why an employer would fire an employee for seemingly going the extra mile. If an employee is punished […]
By Saul C. Glazer The Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill on February 21 eliminating compensatory and punitive damages awards for violations of Wisconsin’s Fair Employment Act (WFEA). This bill was passed by the Wisconsin Senate in November 2011 and is expected to be signed into law by Governor Scott Walker shortly. This law reverses a […]
Unemployment is high, and employment litigation is increasing. We’re seeing more wrongful discharge, discrimination, and wage cases than ever. What will you do if your business is served with a lawsuit or discrimination charge by a current or former employee? We have some suggestions that can help keep your legal bills reasonable and assist your […]
By Donna Gallant Employers are regularly called upon to modify the workplace or job duties in order to accommodate disabilities. But personal assistive bodily devices haven’t traditionally been part of the accommodation discussion in Canada. This may now be changing, according to a recent arbitration decision. Teacher requires hearing aids A teacher struggled with a […]