Tag: employees

Biting the Fiduciary Bullet: A Case for Post-Employment Restrictive Covenants

By Kyla Stott-Jess and Devin Crisanti Post-employment restrictions can be tricky to enforce. But if drafted properly, they can be valuable. As one Alberta employer recently discovered in ADM Measurements Ltd. v. Bullet Electric LTD, relying on implied fiduciary duties to do the job of contractual restrictions can be a pricey gamble. Background The employer, […]

Talking to older worker about retirement

Asking About Retirement: Is It Good Planning or a Legal Danger?

“Sea change,” “massive demographic revolution,” “boomer brain drain.” They are terms  economists and sociologists use when discussing the aging of the baby boomer generation – children born between 1946 to 1964. Countless volumes have been written about what will happen as the more than 78 million boomers age and leave the workforce. Despite all the […]

Mentoring at Work

Mentoring Lets Employees ‘Stand on the Shoulders of Giants’

It’s often said that employees are an employer’s greatest resource. That being the case, it’s no wonder many employers turn to mentoring — the linking of talented but inexperienced employees to proven leaders. Famed scientist and philosopher Sir Isaac Newton has been quoted as saying, “If I have been able to see further, it was […]

Québec Contractors Can’t Have Their Cake and Eat It Too

by Marie-Julie Lanctôt For a variety of reasons, more and more employees want to create companies to provide their services as contractors, rather than employees. Such services will often be identical to those that were provided when the individual was an employee. Subject to a tax, employment insurance or Canada Pension Plan audit, that may […]

Traveling with coworkers

Hit the Road to a Better Understanding of Your Colleagues

Have you ever noticed how traveling with someone helps you really get to know them? In 1976, my mother, two siblings, and I embarked on a trip across the country with my grandparents. My father, what a wise man he was, somehow avoided this particular trip. The six of us spent two weeks together “on […]

Excessive Internet Use by Employees: Is it Time Theft?

By Hadiya Roderique Even in the “Northern Exposure” zones of Canada, employees commonly have access to the Internet at work. Many use the Internet for personal reasons during work time. Many employers are concerned about the loss of productivity resulting from excessive personal use of the Internet. A number of employers have attempted to characterize […]

Public Disclosure by Former Employees: Could the Goldman Sachs Nightmare Happen to You?

by Peter A. Jones Few would question that the world has changed. Collectively, social media, unlimited Internet access, and a shift in the way news is gathered and reported have created a different and challenging environment when employees go “public.” Indeed, the very definition of what constitutes “news” is constantly evolving, as is the news […]

Oklahoma Employees May Have Misconceptions About New ‘Open Carry’ Law

by Charlie Plumb Effective November 1, 2012, Oklahoma handgun owners will be permitted to carry their firearms more freely than before. Yet contrary to some popular belief, the state’s new “open carry” bill (SB 1733) does have limitations. Though some employees may believe they now will have the right to carry guns while at work, […]

Obama’s Same-sex Marriage Statement Doesn’t Change Employer Plans’ Status Quo

Employers likely will need to continue to pay close attention to how their individual states’ approach to same-sex marriage will affect their employee benefit plans, regardless of President Obama’s newly articulated support for it. The president on May 9 said that he supports same-sex marriage, but also that the states should be able to decide […]

DOL Misclassification Initiative Focuses on Drug Reps, Farm Hands and Home Nurses

Whether an employee is exempt from the FLSA has been a turbulent topic this year, as both DOL and Congress have been issuing proposals and bills regarding exempt jobs. DOL has been involved with the status of pharmaceutical representatives, in-home caregivers and children working on farms. Although no changes have yet been made to the […]