Author: Hannah Roskey

Rare costs award granted in human rights complaint

by Hannah Roskey Although courts routinely order one party to pay the other party a portion of its legal fees, administrative tribunals in Canada very rarely have the power or inclination to do so. That includes human rights tribunals across the country, which very rarely order one party to pay the other’s legal costs even […]

The Abominable Boss Man

In honor of Halloween, this post will address some of the many potential workplace issues in the Pixar film, Monsters, Inc.  If you’ve been living under a rock and have managed to not see this film (or its recent sequel), here’s a quick recap. A city called Monstropolis is inhabited by monsters and is powered […]

holiday

Prepare now for worry-free holiday season

It starts with break room tables laden with bowls of candy corn and “fun-size” chocolate bars. Then come turkey and Pilgrim decorations, which quickly give way to workstations sporting menorahs, Nativity scenes, Christmas trees, tinsel, and eventually New Year’s party hats and streamers.   With the kickoff of the fall-winter holidays, employers need to consider not […]

The NLRB―the new elephant in the room

by Mark Flora Recently, I realized that my desk was covered with recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decisions (and articles about those decisions) I needed to review. The problem is, the Board is intruding into nonunion workplaces with such ferocity that it is impossible to keep up. The self-described Rip Van Winkle of government […]

Quality begins with the people you manage

by Dan Oswald The other day, I was driving through a small town and saw a sign on the side of a building that read, “Nobody ever regrets buying quality.” That got me thinking about quality. Did the proprietor of this business have it right? Does no one ever regret paying for a quality product […]

Voters in four states to decide on minimum wage hikes

Voters in four states—Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota—will decide on minimum wage increases when they go to the polls on November 4, and Illinois voters will make their opinion on the issue known in a nonbinding vote. Information on state ballot measures from Ballotpedia indicates: Voters will decide whether to increase Alaska’s minimum wage from […]

Halloween tips to avoid a total nightmare

It’s that time of year again. Time for Halloween and all the candy, cheesy ghost stories, and inappropriate costumes that come with it. While Halloween can be fun and exciting, the fallout for employers can be all fright. Office Parties. While workplace costume parties can lighten the mood in the office, employers should be proactive […]

Insuring long-term disability insurance

by Richard E. Johnston In Canada, benefit plans are subject to legislation related to income tax, human rights, and employment standards. However, there is little specific regulation of benefit plans other than pension plans. A key exception is the provision of long-term disability benefits that are not funded under an insurance contract—at least for federally […]

Ebola outbreak sparks legal questions for employers

Employers have dealt with health scares before. Maladies ranging from the common cold to virulent strains of flu often prompt employers to post hand-washing reminders, offer onsite vaccinations, and encourage sick employees to stay home. But the challenge intensifies in the midst of a disease outbreak as serious and frightening as Ebola.  As the deadly […]

Benefit plans: upcoming compliance deadlines and year-end planning

by Bret Busacker and Bret Clark Now that fall is in the air and school has started, we thought it would be a good idea to summarize some of the key health and welfare benefit deadlines that are approaching.  November 5 Health plan identifier. All self-insured large group health plans (i.e., plans with annual costs […]