Tag: Employment law

Baseball purists

“Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” -H.L. Mencken This post may not be the usual finger-wagging scold you may have come to expect from an employment lawyer. I’m confident, though, that this blog’s audience of fellow practitioners and human resource professionals will take a little solace in it. After all, it’s no […]

Strangers at the table: Employers may need to accept observers in collective bargaining

by David McDonald In Canada, collective agreements are generally accessible to the public. Canadian jurisdictions provide mechanisms to file collective agreements with government authorities, and it is not uncommon for the union or the employer to post their agreement on the web. However, the process of bargaining itself is private and typically carefully guarded by […]

Paid time off: Not always as simple as it sounds

Marking up that 2017 calendar to note important dates and deadlines? Here’s one to note in red—January 31 is National Plan for Vacation Day, a day the people behind an initiative called “Project: Time Off” have set as a day to encourage hardworking and devoted employees to plan some rest and relaxation.  The travel-related industries […]

wellness

Court Declines to Apply ADA’s Benefits Safe Harbor to Employer’s Wellness Incentive

In hearing a recent federal challenge to an employer’s wellness incentive program, a court rejected the company’s contention that the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) safe harbor for benefits administration should apply. However, the court dismissed the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) claim that Orion Energy Systems Inc.’s incentive violated the ADA, even though […]

The employer’s guide to the new Form I-9

by Jacob M. Monty Under federal immigration law, employers are required to verify the employment eligibility of their employees, and this includes completing a Form I-9. However, this process can be tedious and confusing to employers, and if it’s done incorrectly, it could result in large fines. In fact, on August 1, the U.S. Department […]

Peter Dinklage takes on Elf

It’s December, which means that those of us holiday fanatics can decorate and watch Christmas movies to our hearts’ content without shame.  Of course, I won’t tell anyone if you already had your tree up in November (like me) or if you never took it down from last year.  One of my favorite Christmas movies […]

New developments in Canadian law on gender identity and expression at work

by Clayton Jones In Canada, legislative developments continue to occur regarding the issues of gender identity and gender expression and have gained much attention in recent months. This is due in part to the increased acknowledgement of the challenges faced by transgendered people including in the workplace. One of the results is that employers are being […]

revisit

Time for an employment practices audit?

by C. David Morrison Years ago, many employers performed audits of their HR policies and procedures to make sure they were in compliance with the law. However, what you did 10 years ago may not be sufficient in 2016. As employment laws and regulations change, you need to update your policies and procedures.  How deep […]

Having AED at your workplace can save lives, shield you from liability

by Jeremy Thompson The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease. People who have heart disease are at higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), but a person who appears healthy and has no known heart disease or other risk factors can also suffer SCA. According to the U.S. Department of […]