Author: HR Hero

Colorado Employees Entitled to Leave for Children’s Academic Activities

On June 1, 2009, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed the Parental Involvement in K-12 Education Act (H.B. 1057) into law. The Act takes effect on August 5, 2009, and requires employers with 50 or more employees to grant leave to employees to attend their children’s academic activities. Under the Parental Involvement in K-12 Education Act, […]

Compensatory, Punitive Damages for Wisconsion Discrimination Claims

Governor Doyle recently signed Senate Bill 20, which drastically changes discrimination claims under Wisconsin law. Previously, discrimination claims based under Wisconsin law were processed by the Equal Rights Division of the Department of Workforce Development (ERD). The only remedies available were back pay, attorneys’ fees, and reinstatement (or front pay in some instances). Under the […]

Termination Clauses in Canadian Employment Contracts

By Katie Clayton and Farrah Sunderani If you include a termination benefit in a Canadian employment agreement, it is important to be precise. As discussed in previous Northern Exposure entries, employers in Canada must provide notice or pay in lieu of notice when terminating an employee without cause. This minimum requirement is legislated in employment […]

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 June 8. 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 […]

Summer Dress Codes at Work

Workplace Dress Codes and Hot Weather

Q: Now that it’s getting warm (or should I say “hot”), some employees are wearing less and less to work every day. It doesn’t really bother me, but I believe some employees may be a little uncomfortable with the skimpy attire of their coworkers. A: As with most things that fall under the heading “best […]

EEOC Settles Race Discrimination Case Against Construction Company

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has entered into an agreement with Wheeler Construction in which Wheeler will pay two employees a total of $325,000 to settle a race discrimination claim. The case may reflect the EEOC’s increased attention to race discrimination claims, which, like other discrimination claims, are rising at a rapid rate. HR […]

Protecting Your Greatest Assets During Tough Times

Yesterday I received an e-mail from an employee in our company that really got me thinking. Her e-mail was about one of the less talked about effects of tough economic times. Her note contemplated how layoffs, or even the hint of layoffs, can cause a company to lose the employees it most desperately wants to […]

The Envelope, Please

Litigation cost: $0 – $50,000 Even though NBC is taking a break from The Office this week, we aren’t. The latest webisode, “Blackmail,” may be short but it packs a potential punch for Dunder Mifflin. Creed wreaks quiet havoc by gathering his colleagues’ best-kept secrets and using them to extort favors or a paltry $6 […]

Hawaiian Airlines Responds to Pilots Union Media Campaign

The Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA) and Hawaiian Airlines have been negotiating toward a new pilots’ contract for approximately two years. Recently, ALPA has engaged in an extensive media campaign alleging that Hawaiian Airlines hasn’t made up for past wage cuts during the period the company was in bankruptcy several years ago. Contrary to […]

Workers’ Compensation Claim for Mental Stress Allowed

By Derek Knoechel and Lorene Novakowski Canadian provinces have workers’ compensation legislation that provides a no-fault system of compensation for injuries suffered on the job. The system covers lost wages, medical aid, and rehabilitation for the injured worker and generally removes the injured worker’s ability to sue the employer. The workers’ compensation system is funded […]