Author: Northern Exposure

Working in Canada without a Work Permit: Common Exemptions

by Ingrid Anton and Gilda Villaran In order to work in Canada, the general rule requires a foreign worker to obtain a work permit. There are certain exceptions to this rule. We present below the most common ones. Although some of the activities described below are normally considered “work” for immigration purposes, Canada’s immigration regulations […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on July 20. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen […]

8 Ways Supervisors Can Foster Diversity

There’s an unfortunate truth HR professionals must deal with: It only takes one errant supervisor to undo all the hard work put into creating and perfecting polices and initiatives. Your company’s diversity initiative is no different. According to diversity consultant and founder of QUEST Diversity Initiatives LLC Natalie Holder-Winfield, you can’t just write up your […]

Same-Sex Benefits: A Growing Issue under Obama

Same-sex marriage and benefits for same-sex partners are issues that appear to be gaining momentum.  A number of state legislatures and state supreme courts have recently addressed these issues and same-sex marriage is now legal in six states.  President Barack Obama also recently extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, promising that the extension […]

New Supreme Court Ruling Rocks the Title VII World

The U.S. Supreme Court ended its 2008-2009 term in dramatic fashion when it released its decision in a highly anticipated and controversial reverse discrimination case. Although the case had been in the media since it reached the Supreme Court, it became even more intensely scrutinized once President Barack Obama chose Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his […]

DOL Issues Ruling on Affirmative Action

On May 29, the Administrative Review Board (ARB) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an important decision on the scope of coverage of the nondiscrimination and affirmative action provisions of Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). […]

Democrats Drop EFCA Card-Check Provision

Democrats have reportedly agreed to drop the card-check provision of the controversial Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The card-check provision would have made it much easier for employees to form labor unions by allowing a majority of employees to unionize by signing card-check petitions. Under this provision, employers would no longer have been able to […]

What Should Employers Do When I-9s Aren’t Filled Out Completely?

by Emily Hobbs-Wright Q: We have 40 stores, and sometimes the I-9s we receive aren’t filled out completely. If just a date is missing (not verification of documents or a signature), can we e-mail the store and ask for the date and fill it in ourselves, or do we need to send the forms back […]

Proceed with Caution When Rehiring Laid-Off Employees

by Kara Shea One hopeful sign that our economy is perhaps inching back in the right direction is the number of calls I’ve received in recent weeks from clients inquiring about hiring back employees let go during a reduction in force (RIF). Some employers have told me they’re contemplating bringing back certain positions, or even […]

Documentation Can be Your Golden Ticket

This week was a rerun of the episode “Golden Ticket,” where we learned that Dwight keeps a diary, mostly about what Michael does.  While I’m not recommending that you document every little thing the people in your office (and particularly your boss!) do, the episode is a good reminder about the importance of documentation. It […]