Author: Mike Maslanka

The CEO: Chief Engagement Officer: Turning Hierarchy Upside Down to Drive Performance

Ralph Gaillard reviews the book The CEO: Chief Engagement Officer: Turning Hierarchy Upside Down to Drive Performance by John Smythe. Review highlights book’s discussion of employee communication and engagement. Employee engagement, the workplace phenomenon that propels employees to become passionate about their work, their employers and the company’s long-term objectives, is all the rage right […]

New Top 10 Rules for Video Surveillance in Canada

By Barbara A.  McIsaac and Rachel Ravary McCarthy Tetrault By now, we all know that video surveillance of employees is a touchy subject and should be used only as a last resort. But when you’ve examined all of the alternatives and have come to the conclusion that no other solution will do, we can at […]

HOT LIST: New York Times Bestselling Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling business books as ranked by the New York Times on April 28. 1 Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny, by Suze Orman. How women can achieve financial security. 2 Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, by Dan Ariely. An M.I.T. […]

Night Out

This week’s episode raises some interesting issues for employers. The one that first comes to mind is whether an employer should host internal social networking websites for their employees. Frankly, I’ve got mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, social networking websites are great for recruiting, communicating information, answering employee questions, and allowing employees […]

What Motivates an Employee’s Lawyer?

by Jeff DeGraffenreid Recently, I met a plaintiff’s lawyer during a particularly expansive mediation. He was on the opposing side, and after we were through, I had the chance to sit down with him over a beer and pick his brain. I’d gone in with the notion that he was “in it for the money.” […]

Making Technology Improve Work, Not Create Distraction

The capabilities of the devices the average employee brings to the workplace these days are amazing. At any given moment, every one of your employees probably has the ability to make a phone call from anywhere in the building, record a conversation, and take pictures of your most sensitive work secrets — and that’s just […]

The Good Black: A True Story of Race in America

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews the book The Good Black: A True Story of Race in America by Paul M. Barrett. Review follows book’s description of a real-life story of an African-American who went from motivated employee to suing his employer for employment and race discrimination. Ever wonder how a once successful and motivated […]

Avoiding Hiring Pitfalls in Canada

By Kate McNeill McCarthy Tetrault We all know that once you hire an employee, you have certain legal obligations to that employee. But what about before you even hire someone? In Canada, job applicants are entitled to certain human rights and common law protections that employers must be aware of in their hiring practices. In […]

HOT LIST: Bestselling Business Books on Amazon.com

Amazon.com updates its list of bestselling business books hourly. Here is a snapshot of what books people are buying on Monday, April 21. 1. The Trillion Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crash by Charles R. Morris. According to the author, the astronomical leverage at investment banks and their hedge fund […]

Response to last week’s article

by Brian Smeenk Editor – Northern Exposure Like the hockey gag line about going to a fight only to have a hockey game break out, last week Northern Exposure was the site of shock and awe, and a good legal debate broke out. There was a lot of interest in our post last week about […]