Tag: Employment law

Moneyball tips on letting less productive players go

Part of our mission here is to keep all you bibliophiles out there engaged and entertained. (I happen to be one, so I know we’re a rare breed.) Our book today is Michael Lewis’ Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.

Holiday party

Getting the scoop: The value of exit interviews

Depending on your vantage point, exit interviews can be an effective way to get information that will improve the workplace, or they’re a waste of time that some employees resent. The idea behind exit interviews is to help employers understand why employees leave so that the employer can make improvements to reduce turnover and boost […]

Banning electronic cigarettes in the workplace

by Reggie Gay Electronic cigarette companies like to say that users of their products can “Smoke anywhere!” According to the recent Businessweek article “E-Cigarettes Want Your Attention Now (Before the FDA Steps In),” electronic cigarettes are “expected to top $1 billion in annual sales in the next few years.” As the industry grows exponentially, employers […]

$110K Penalty Shows: Alcoholism is an ADA-protected Condition

Employers, pay heed. A recent court outcome — and hefty monetary award for the employee — reiterate the fact that alcoholism is a disability protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Following a five-day trial a federal jury in Pennsylvania awarded more than $109,000 to a cook whose rights, it found, had been violated when […]

Plaintiff’s Attorney Fined for Withholding Evidence in ADA Suit

An employee’s attorney must pay $5,000 for omitting important information in an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. In Kempter v. Michigan Bell Telephone Co. , No. 13-1036 (6th Cir. Aug. 26, 2013), the plaintiff’s attorney failed to mention that that his client, Cathie Kempter, had been permanently restricted […]

Employee convicted of criminal negligence

By Antonio Di Domenico On March 22, 2006, B.C. Ferries’ vessel the Queen of the North missed a scheduled turn causing it to run aground and sink off the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Fifty-seven passengers and 42 crew members abandoned ship before it sank. Two passengers were never found and were declared dead. On […]

Retaliation is Reality TV

I think it’s safe to say that now, in 2013, we as a society are overrun by reality TV. The Truman Show starring Jim Carey debuted in 1998. In case you have forgotten, that was the movie where the whole world watched one man’s every move on a daily basis, from brushing his teeth to […]

Friendly crowd or adolescent bullies: Assessing cliques in the workplace

Think the cool kids’ lunch table is confined to high school cafeterias and that grownups in the workplace don’t resort to such cliquish behavior? Think again. A survey from CareerBuilder shows that close to half of the workers polled (43 percent) reported the presence of cliques in their workplaces. What’s more concerning is that a […]

When the boss behaves badly

by Scott Agthe By now, most Texans are familiar with the embarrassment of the Travis County district attorney, who was recently jailed for drunk driving. For you non-Texans, here is a synopsis: Rosemary Lehmberg, one of the highest-ranking law enforcement officials in Texas, was arrested one Friday night last April. A 911 call reported her […]

Until death do us part: Attempts to reduce retiree benefits fail—for now

By Ralph Nero, Ross Gascho, and Keri Bennett As in the United States, some Canadian employers have attempted to eliminate or reduce post-retirement benefits in order to address escalating costs. In two recent cases, Canadian employers were found to be not entitled to reduce post-retirement health and life insurance benefits. Courts in both Ontario and […]