Tag: Employment law

Broader workplace harassment claims: Is Canada becoming more litigious?

by Shane Todd Can a Canadian employee sue an employer for harassment that is not related to a discrimination claim? The answer used to be “no.” But that’s changing. In most jurisdictions across Canada, an employee could sue or file a human rights application for harassment related to unlawful discrimination. An employee could file a […]

hiring

Looking for solutions to the talent gap? Don’t forget legal concerns

Employers in an array of fields lament a shortage of talent. Sometimes employers are able to attract a flood of eager applicants, but few possess the skills and qualities needed. Other times, employers need people for special, short-term projects, and they don’t want to take on full-time, permanent employees to get the job done. No […]

benefits

Bill Proposes Benefits for Gig Workers

A bill introduced in both houses of Congress would create a pilot program to provide employment benefits to gig workers. This Portable Benefits for Independent Workers Pilot Program Act (S. 1251, H.R. 2685) would allot the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) $20 million to test portable benefits in fiscal year 2018. “[A] growing number of […]

Why employee engagement must be a priority, not an option

by Jimmy Daniel When it comes to your workplace, do you know how many members of your team are truly engaged? On average, U.S. companies have an engagement level of 32%. Basically, one out of three of your team members is engaged. Studies suggest that disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy between $400 billion and […]

Ontario labor and employment laws to undergo significant amendments

by Sophie Arseneault and Christian Paquette In Canada’s most populous province, labor and employment matters are governed by two fundamental statutes: the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and the Ontario Labour Relations Act (LRA). The ESA sets out minimum rights and obligations of employers and employees in the province. The LRA governs a host of matters […]

Wonder Woman and the fight against unconscious bias

Not only has the recently released Wonder Woman movie garnered mainly favorable reviews, but it has been highly successful at the box office, having made more than $200 million domestically in its first two weeks of release alone. From a purely movie industry insider perspective, the success of Wonder Woman is incredibly important to Warner […]

independent contractor

DOL Rescinds Joint Employment, Independent Contractor Guidance

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has withdrawn two major Obama-era guidance documents, one addressing joint employment and one on independent contractors. The move, while not a surprise, is good news for employers, according to H. Juanita Beecher, of counsel with Fortney & Scott and an editor of Federal Employment Law Insider. The Obama administration […]

Marijuana

Think your drug policy is sound? Better factor in changing marijuana laws

Not so many years ago employers emphasized the importance of drug-free workplace policies—policies that often included zero-tolerance provisions. But as marijuana laws have undergone significant change in recent years, it’s time to give a second look to policies that may not have been updated in years.  Peter Lowe, an attorney with Brann & Isaacson in […]