Author: Sophie Arseneault

‘You’re fired’—for watching TV too much

by Sophie Arseneault Canadian employment law does not recognize “at will” employment. An employer requires “just cause” to terminate someone without severance pay. Can you have a just cause termination for a 26-year employee with a previously clean employment record?

Need a job done? Put together the right team

It’s a great day at the office when a work group gels, when team members work in the roles they are most suited for, and when the team achieves the goals it set out to accomplish. It’s not such a great day when a team bogs down and trips over hurdles it wasn’t prepared to […]

NC General Assembly does more than just invalidate Charlotte’s LGBT ordinance

by Richard L. Rainey On Wednesday night, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill (HB) 2, which was then signed by Governor Pat McCrory. While HB 2 was prompted by the desire to overturn Charlotte’s recently enacted ordinance that banned discrimination against LGBT people in the provision of public accommodations and allowed transgender individuals […]

Steps to take in response to the DOL’s proposed FLSA regulations

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued proposed regulations that would revise the requirements for the white-collar exemptions under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The DOL has not yet issued the final regulations. This article explains the steps employers should take in response to the proposed regulations. FLSA and the proposed […]

Supreme Court ruling eases the way for certain class actions

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled March 22 that the use of statistical evidence to create a class action lawsuit against Tyson Foods was proper, an action that may make it easier for employees in certain situations to band together to sue their employers rather than suing as individuals. The Court ruled 6-2 in Tyson Foods […]

Kids’ dwindling writing skills are no reason to LOL

by Dan Oswald Is writing becoming a lost art? The adoption of new technology has forever changed how we communicate with one another—and that includes the written word. I’m certain my kids write more with their thumbs, texting incessantly on their phones, than any other way. And I say that even though two of my […]

Andrews and Hogan verdicts demonstrate disgust against invasion of privacy

Just this month, two large jury awards were given to celebrities in their respective civil suits alleging amongst other things, invasion of privacy: First, FOX sportscaster Erin Andrews was awarded $55 million in her lawsuit against a Nashville hotel and stalker after she was secretly videotaped in her hotel room in 2008. The jury found […]

Before you board a plane to Canada: Don’t forget your eTA … but no enforcement yet

by Gilda Villaran As of March 15, many travelers were supposed to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before flying to Canada. However, according to a communication issued by Immigration Canada on March 3, while travelers are still expected to apply for an eTA (where one is required), the obligation to actually produce the eTA […]

Unconscious bias: Employers learning how to fight problems they don’t see

Efforts to create more diverse workplaces have landed on many employers’ radar screens in recent years. The tech industry, notably, has been exposed as being overwhelmingly male and white, leading some of those influential employers to do some soul searching. They and employers in an array of other fields have devised programs resulting in improvement, […]