Tag: Employment law

How to Screen Job Applicants and Avoid Liability

Q: I own and operate a business in which physically demanding work is part of the employees’ daily activities. I recently hired several employees who I thought were qualified for the job. However, I quickly learned that they weren’t in good enough health to do what was required of them. This is causing a lot […]

Ghost of Christmas Past: Firing Union Supporters Can Come Back to Haunt You

By David McDonald Most Canadian employers are familiar with what they can and can’t do when they’re the target of a union-organizing campaign. Labor legislation across Canada prohibits management from terminating or disciplining employees because of trade union affiliation while a union is attempting to gain representational rights. A recent decision from British Columbia, Playtime […]

Cheap Labor

Litigation Value: Class action by day-laborers hired by Dwight = $500,000; penalties for violations of the Immigration Reform and Control Act = $50,000. [Tonight’s entry was authored by Josh Drexler, whom you’ll be hearing more from in the coming year.] While watching last night’s two repeat episodes, I noticed that Dwight Schrute potentially exposed Sabre/Dunder […]

Hiring Decisions and Older Workers — Avoiding Liability

By Alix Herber and Hadiya Roderique Across Canada, human rights legislation prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of age. This applies to all aspects of the employment relationship — job advertisements, application forms, job interviews, hiring decisions, denial of promotional opportunities, and termination decisions. Data from the Ontario Human Rights Commission for 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 […]

The Sting Redux

Tonight’s Office (originally aired October 2010) involved the courtship — a/k/a sting operation — of Danny Cordray, the slick-talking, good-looking uber salesman from Osprey Paper Company. Cordray keeps stealing Dunder Mifflin clients, so Michael, Jim, and Dwight set up a fake office front with Meredith posing as the CEO of a fictional company. The goal […]

Permanent Immigration from United States to Canada

By Gilda Villaran How can an American resident become a Canadian citizen? Only permanent residents of Canada can apply. Therefore, one must start with applying for permanent resident status. There are various ways to become a permanent resident of Canada. This article will focus on those who apply in the “economic class.” For those applying […]

Three-Fer

Litigation Value: Counseling for everybody! Last night, NBC treated us to a holiday extravaganza. If last week’s two-part “Classy Christmas” wasn’t enough “Office” for you, we got the joy of three episodes last night! That’s right, three full episodes of Michael and the gang, acting ridiculous as usual. I recapped “Counseling” and my talented colleagues […]

Pay to Slay: Targeting Bedbugs at Employees’ Homes

Fourth of four parts If employees have a bedbug problem at home, it could soon become their employers’ problem at work, too. One way to attack the problem is to go to its root — and help with cleaning up the home infestation. Some employers have gone so far as to pay for the cost […]

Why Bedbugs Draw Swarm of Plaintiff’s Attorneys

Third of four parts When bedbugs invade your office, factory, or other building, they aren’t the only pests employers will be feverishly wanting to get rid of. The other dreaded workplace pestilence — plaintiffs’ attorneys — may not be far behind, scratching around for an opportunity to file bug-related litigation for any number of reasons. […]

Ruff Stuff: Pros, Cons of Bedbug Detection Dogs

Second of four parts For employers trying to figure out if their workplace has a bedbug problem, bringing in properly trained bedbug-sniffing dogs can be the best approach, especially if you have a large facility to check. But you’d be wise to do a little more digging yourself before signing a contract with the dog […]