Tag: Employment law

Top 10 Potential Perils of Employment Policies

Almost every employer has policies. The question is, where do they come from? They come from HR, right? But where does HR get them? They must get them from somewhere. And what if you don’t have an HR department? Then someone must have to — gasp — write them. We’re talking about your employment policies […]

News Flash: Will Ferrell to Guest Star on “The Office”

Listen up, friends: We’ve recently been handed some very exciting news! According to Sabre’s corporate offices, Will Ferrell will be joining “The Office” for a four-episode arc later this season. Will and his old pal Steve Carrell will be reunited for at least three of the four episodes, as Will plays a Sabre branch manager […]

Workplace Monitoring and Canadian Privacy Rights

By Sébastien Lebel and Chris Semerjian Canadian employers have many ways to monitor and control their business operations. However, new technologies — if misused — may lead to violations of employees’ rights. In particular, this raises the question of the extent of employees’ right to privacy. The monitoring of business operations may involve only buildings […]

Veggie Tale of Terror

Litigation Value: Inappropriate Comments by Kevin, Creed, Michael, and Darryl = Yet More Expensive Fodder for Hostile Work Environment Claims; Cost of Sparkly Resolution Board = $4; Michael Force-Feeding Broccoli to Kevin = Priceless. It’s a brand new year, and our friends at Sabre are determined to start off on the right foot by sticking […]

Employer Bears All Risk for Unpaid Interns

An enthusiastic and energetic individual approaches you with a proposal to volunteer his time to gain valuable experience in your industry. “After all,” reasons the prospective volunteer, “how can I get my first job if I have no experience in the field of my choice?” Sounds like a win-win situation, doesn’t it? Like many win-win […]

Tech Employee Fired for Egregious Computer Use: Termination Justified

By Maria Giagilitsis Along with the extraordinary benefits accompanying today’s rapidly advancing technology comes an increasing vulnerability for Canadian employers who strive to hire the “best of the best” information technology groups. On the one hand, “wizard like” computer skills are an invaluable asset — they can lead a company’s growth while sharpening its competitive […]

I Do. You Sue

This week was another repeat of “Niagara,” the hour-long Pam and Jim wedding episode. Doug Hall and Matt Scott did a nice job with this episode here and here offering different takes on employee behavior outside the office. But seriously, does an employer really have to be concerned about what happens at an employee’s wedding? Yup. The […]

EEOC Claims Reach Record Level, What Employers Can Do

When the economy declines, it’s a safe bet that the number of discrimination claims filed against employers will increase. And as we are currently in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, employment law attorneys weren’t surprised when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported this week that it received an unprecedented number of […]

Wal-Mart Employee Class Action in USA – Lessons for Canadian Employers?

By Donna Gallant When the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (San Francisco) affirmed an order certifying the largest employment discrimination class action ever in the United States, Wal-Mart was left facing a class of up to 1.5 million members. Employers were left wondering just how big and powerful these opponents might get. On December 6, […]

In the Company of Gleeks

Litigation Value: Likely no liability against Sabre/Dunder Mifflin, but Gabe could have some property damage claims against Michael and Andy Only two more weeks until new episodes of The Office return, and I’m eager to find how the writers will wrap up Michael Scott’s career. Quick question for you Officeheads out there: How do you think they […]