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Mad Men can be tough to watch for an employment lawyer. I was thinking of this while watching the show’s most recent episode, “New Business.” In a particularly cringe-worthy scene, Harry Crane propositions Megan under the pretense that he can help get her acting career back on track. Harry is a buffoon and a jackass, and I wondered […]
by Kylie Crawford TenBrook It may only be April 2015, but the 2016 presidential race has officially begun. On Monday, the New York Times listed 12 Republicans and four Democrats who have expressed an interest in running for their party’s 2016 presidential nomination in the article Who Is Running for President (and Who’s Not)? Three […]
by Cathy Chandler In 2005, Ontario became the first jurisdiction in the world to enact proactive legislation designed to establish policies and programs to promote the provision of services to people with disabilities in five areas: customer service, employment, information and communications, public transportation, and design of public spaces. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities […]
The human resources department often finds itself in the position of mediating disagreements about thermostat settings, noise levels, perfume sensitivities, and an array of other workplace issues. But when employee preferences—or even prescriptions—intersect with the law, the job gets more challenging. Recently a group of attorneys was asked whether an employee’s use of aromatherapy at […]
by Marianne Clendenen Among the many changes to employment policy and practice wrought by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), perhaps none is currently as hotly contested as the definition of “full-time employee” and the correlating “workweek.” Congress is considering amending the ACA to change what’s considered a “workweek” from 30 hours to 40 hours per […]
The Comedy Central show Workaholics is currently in its fifth season of depicting a fresh (and hilarious) human resources nightmare week after week. The show is about three recent college dropouts (Blake, Adam, and Anders) who also happen to be roommates and coworkers at a fictional telemarketing company, TelAmeriCorp. To give you an idea of […]
by David G. Wong When is a suspension not a suspension? Sounds like the start of a bad joke. However, in a recent decision, the Supreme Court of Canada explained that in certain circumstances a suspension will be deemed to be a termination.
Employers tout the importance of an engaged workforce—a place where employees are devoted, eager, interested in their jobs and happy to boot. But how much of a payoff does a nominally engaged workforce provide? Can an engaged workforce still be steeped in drama that holds an organization back? Nicole Price, vice president of training for […]
by Mark I. Schickman For the past month, the most interesting show in San Francisco has been the trial of Ellen Pao’s sexual harassment and sex discrimination case against investment firm Kleiner Perkins. Pao, who engaged in a sexual relationship with a Kleiner Perkins partner early in her career, claims that the firm is a […]
The biggest sports entertainment event of the year is in the books. Did you miss it? Nope, I’m not talking about the NCAA Tournament or even the Cricket World Cup—by the way, you can rest easy since Australia beat New Zealand by 7 wickets to capture its 5th Championship—I’m talking about WrestleMania 31. Yes, the […]