Tag: Employment law

When the floodgates open, expect water at your doorstep

About a month ago, my colleague Kristin Gray wrote about the breaking Harvey Weinstein scandal and best practices for employers to prevent harassment and discrimination from invading the workplace. And while I have no intention of reiterating any of the excellent points Kristin covered in her piece, it would be ignoring the obvious not to […]

A win for employers: Supreme Court rejects union’s effort to obtain right of consultation in accommodation process

by John Craig and Matthew Larsen Do unions have an independent legal right, separate and apart from their collective agreement rights, to be involved in every unionized employee’s accommodation request? This question was answered earlier this year by the British Columbia Court of Appeal, which ruled that unions have no such right. Recently, in Telecommunications […]

Who’s lying? Avoiding retaliation claims can be tricky

It’s tough to make employment decisions when you can’t be confident that the facts are known. And facts are often hard to figure out with absolute certainty. Recently, a group of attorneys focusing on employment matters tackled a question from an employer about how to handle an employee who accused his manager of disability discrimination […]

More than a hunch: making better hiring decisions

by Tracy Lindow Recently, I overheard a conversation between two department managers in the hallway of a client organization:  Manager A: “I will not be in our staff meeting today because I have to interview a candidate for the vacancy in my department at 9:00 a.m. If she shows up on time and has no […]

Workplace romances: Do they ‘Suit’ your company?

Like almost everyone I know, I love the ability to binge-watch television series these days. In fact, it is a rare occurrence that I ever watch any show at the time it actually airs. (This Is Us is a notable exception for me.) Instead, I enjoy delving into these characters’ lives several hours at a […]

Avoiding liability risks when you fire a sexual harasser

by Theodore Fong The risks to employers in sexual harassment cases can be big. Potential liability can arise from any decision. Employers may then find themselves having to make tough decisions on tight timelines. The key to ensuring an appropriate response is to be prepared. Preparation will permit an employer to take a proactive approach, […]

Heaps of paper or storehouses of data? Exploring ways to keep HR records

No one disputes the importance of proper recordkeeping in the workplace. But what’s the best way to keep that information? In bulky paper files kept on-site or maybe entrusted to a vendor to be kept off-site? Perhaps an employer’s information, both routine and sensitive, should be kept in a digital format. And if electronic storage […]