Tag: Employment law

The holiday (party) season is coming: Plan now to minimize the risks

by Craig M. Borowski The holiday season is almost upon us. Employers often use this time of year to show their appreciation for employees’ hard work and to celebrate with them in the workplace. Unfortunately, however, even an office party planned with the best of intentions can create legal liability for your company or possibly […]

OSHA Warns Retailers About Crowd Control

Several years ago a big box employee was trampled to death when a mob of shoppers flooded through the doors of a store holding a Black Friday sales event. The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued guidelines in mid-November urging retailers to put policies in place to prevent other tragedies during the upcoming holiday […]

No woman, no cry

Litigation Value: Dwight’s sexual and sexist comments regarding women = additional fodder for a hostile work environment claim (not to mention Clark’s potential claims); Jim taking calls about starting a different company on Dunder Mifflin time = a potential breach of the duty of loyalty; taking another trip to crazy town with Jan = priceless. With David […]

Pre-resignation training costs not recoverable

by Jennifer Shepherd Can Canadian employers who require employees to undergo training to upgrade their skills as part of their employment then seek reimbursement from the employee if the employee subsequently resigns?

Survey shows how employers plan to handle upcoming holidays

Everybody enjoys a day off on a special occasion–especially if it’s a paid day off–and employers realize the benefits of offering such perks to employees. Employers may question, though, whether they’re handling holidays in the best way. The recent BLR Holiday Practices Survey provides insights on a variety of holiday practices. Major holidays The survey […]

HR’s holiday guide: A look ahead

With only a week until Thanksgiving, it’s time to start planning for the holidays (if you haven’t already). The holiday season is filled with opportunities to celebrate and thank employees for their hard work. But those opportunities can turn into headaches if you aren’t careful. That’s why this post is the first in a series […]

Indefinite protection for federal employee disabled by work-related injury

by Nicola Sutton When the employment relationship becomes impossible to perform because of a factor outside the control of a Canadian employer or employee, the employee’s employment can be terminated by virtue of frustration of contract. When an employee won’t be able to return to work because of injury or illness, the same applies. But […]

The Boat – Let’s finish the season before it sinks…

Although last night’s episode focused more on the personal side of the characters’ lives rather than the professional, it’s always the personal stuff that leads to the really juicy legal issues. Last night, Andy emerged as the leader of his family in dealing with the aftermath of the family’s ongoing financial crisis. Dwight took the […]

The more things change, the more they stay the same

by Mark Schickman After what seems like two years of constant campaigning and over $1 billion in advertising, we are exactly where we were after the 2010 elections: Democrats control the White House and Senate, and Republicans control the House of Representatives. Unless something drastic changes, this remains a recipe for continued gridlock—a conclusion Wall […]

Getting past campaign strife: HR can help heal rifts

by Tammy Binford Finally, it’s over. With the passing of Election Day, campaign ads have died down but emotions can still run high. If coworkers have engaged in heated political discussions at work, those passions can be counterproductive to the mission of the business. So the question for HR is “What now?” What can HR […]