Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Maria Giagilitsis and Brian Smeenk In a decision released earlier this week, the highest court in Canada’s most populous province, Ontario, issued a surprising ruling on workplace privacy law. The case involved criminal charges against a teacher accused of possession of child pornography. The court said the employee has a reasonable expectation of privacy […]
From the nightly news to the employee break room, one of the hottest topics right now is how the cost of gas keeps going up, and with the crisis in the Middle East continuing to escalate, there is no end in sight. Employees are feeling the pain of rising gas prices and some may be […]
by Hadiya J. Roderique Human rights claims are an increasingly common occurrence for Canadian employers. Employees or former employees can initiate these claims at little or no cost in most Canadian jurisdictions (the various provinces, territories, or the federal sphere). An employer must defend human rights claims to avoid an award of damages or other […]
By Hector A. Chichoni Because of tremendous advances in technology and transportation, companies are able to locate resources and skills in different parts of the world and manage them as if they were in one place. Competition for resources and skills is brutal and requires speedy and fluid access to global markets. When U.S. employers […]
When last night’s episode originally aired on February 10, 2011, I noted that the Scranton office more closely resembled a nightclub at the height of the sexual revolution than a reputable place of business — see my original commentary entitled “Let’s Get It On.” I discussed recent findings on the prevalence of workplace dating, as well […]
by Gary S. Fealk Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), certain employees may be exempt from overtime pay. Mastering HR: Overtime Executive, administrative, and professional employees An employee whose job duties fall within the executive, administrative, or professional category may be exempt from overtime pay if he is paid on a salary basis. Under […]
By Kevin O’Neill Employment standards acts (ESAs) across Canada impose certain personal liabilities on directors or officers regarding unpaid wages of a company. The potential amounts and the circumstances in which such personal liability may arise vary from one jurisdiction to another. In British Columbia (BC), the ESA imposes liability on directors or officers for […]
It’s “déjà vu all over again” for this blogger, who already saw and wrote about tonight’s episode of The Office — both when it was being filmed and as it later aired. What then to post? Well, for good or ill, recent events in the broadcasting world have shed light on an important and recurring […]
by Leslie Stout-Tabackman and David Fortney, Fortney & Scott, LLC This article arises from comments on the “Bridge to Justice” program by U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Solicitor Patricia Smith during the panel discussion “The Obama Administration’s Enforcement of the Wage and Hour Laws” at the Practicing Law Institute’s (PLI) “Managing Wage & Hour Risks […]
By Isabelle Dongier Foreign workers can be an important source of labor for Canadian employers, permitting them to fill shortages in a variety of professions and industries. In an attempt to better protect vulnerable foreign workers from what the government has called unscrupulous employers and agents, the Canadian government will introduce a new regime for […]