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Archive for September, 2010

Do you need an IT business and implementation strategy?

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

You already know how important information technology is to your business. You’ve got a website that pushes your brand and maybe even sells your products; you’ve got an internal network that connects all of your employees to each other and the documents they need; you’ve got company email to manage, and maybe a bunch of cellphones and BlackBerrys to keep track of; you’ve got security cameras, passwords, log-ins and keycards; and you’ve got employee management systems covering attendance, payroll, benefits and more. If any of these fails, you’ve also got a big problem.

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Tags: Blackberrys, business planning, Canadian Payroll Association, employee management, information technology, internal network, IT, IT Strategic Planning for SMEs, IT strategy, small and medium enterprises, small business, social media, social networking, strategic planning, The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
Posted in Human Resources, Internal Controls, IT, Privacy and Security | Make a Comment »

Ontario court recognizes health and safety risks associated with sex-trade laws, and strikes them down

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

We wrote about a controversial challenge to Canada’s prostitution laws last year, and the judge hearing the case has finally released her decision—in favour of the sex-trade workers who raised the challenge. “I have found that the law as it stands, is currently contributing to the danger faced by prostitutes”, said the judge.

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Tags: canadian employment law, criminal code, decriminalizing prostitution, employment law, occupational health and safety, ontario, sex trade, solicitation
Posted in Employment Standards, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Human Rights | Make a Comment »

CIC revises list of designated countries/territories requiring medical examinations

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

On September 1, 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced revisions to its list of designated countries/territories for the purposes of Section 30 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

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Tags: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, immigration medical examination, medical examinations
Posted in Corporate Immigration, Human Resources | 1 Comment »

HRSDC/CIC establishes new LMO exemption for foreign medical residents/fellows

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

On September 1, 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued Operational Bulletin 230, which announces a new exemption from the Labour Market Opinion requirement for foreign medical residents and medical research fellowship holders. This new exemption falls under Paragraph 205(c)(ii) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

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Tags: Canadian Medical Doctorate, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued Operational Bulletin 230, foreign medical residents/fellows, Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, Labour Market Opinion, LMO exemption
Posted in Corporate Immigration, Human Resources | Make a Comment »

Workplace violence in self-defence: What do you think?

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

If another worker attacks me at work, I’m going to protect myself. Does this law [the Occupational Health and Safety Act] say I can’t do that? What do you think?

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Tags: employment law, Harassment and violence training, occupational health and safety act, ontario, self-defence, workplace harassment, workplace harassment and violence policies and program, workplace violence, workplace violence and self-defence, workplace violence in self-defence
Posted in Health and Safety, Human Resources, Human Rights | 4 Comments »

Robots in the workplace: freaky or fun(ctional)?

Monday, September 27th, 2010

I came across this story about a “tele-robot” via Twitter, and I didn’t know what to expect when I clicked through. Still, I wasn’t disappointed. It can’t bring you a coffee, but it can walk around and order someone else to get you a coffee. Well, it’s controller can.

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Tags: artificial intelligence, assembly lines, employee relations, ethical issue of robots in the workplace, Future workplace, HR strategies, HR technology, human capital, Intelligent Mobile, job satisfaction, Labour shortage, machine tools or process equipment, Manufacturing, mechanical, office environments, Robots in the workplace
Posted in Human Resources | 2 Comments »

Workplace organizational behaviour part II: Perception

Friday, September 24th, 2010

Behaviour in the workplace is based on people’s perception of it. In this post, let’s examine how one’s perception influences productivity, absenteeism, turnover and job satisfaction.

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Tags: Behaviour in the workplace, behavioural interview, Behavioural interview techniques, employee relations, Human Resources Strategy, job satisfaction, oganizational behaviour, perception, perception affects the workplace, workplace behavioral problems, workplace organizational behaviour
Posted in Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development | 5 Comments »

A broader view of workplace diversity

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Workplace diversity efforts often focus on employees’ gender, race and ability. The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants wants to broaden employers’ horizons and help them see the larger picture of diversity. “The concept of diversity encompasses factors including age, culture, personality, skill, training, educational background and life experience. The influence of a variety of perspectives and viewpoints can contribute to flexibility and creativity within organizations, which can help them thrive in a complex and competitive global economy.”

Is she suggesting organizations hire unskilled and inexperienced workers with poor personalities? Probably not.

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Tags: accommodation, business case for workplace diversity, CICA, corporate governance, Disability, discrimination, diversity, Diversity Briefing: Questions for Directors to Ask, duty to accommodate, Fiona Macfarlane, gender, innovation, race, racial diversity, racism, risk management, strategic planning, succession planning, The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
Posted in Human Resources, Human Rights, Internal Controls, Recruiting and Hiring | Make a Comment »

Employees with disabilities: disclosure v. privacy

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

One of the most difficult decisions employees or applicants have to make is to decide whether to inform their employer of their non-obvious disabilities. Why?

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Tags: disclosure, Disclosure of a disability, discrimination, duty to accommodate, Employees with disabilities, employment law, privacy, work environment
Posted in Accessibility Standards, Human Resources, Human Rights, Privacy and Security, Standard for Employment | 2 Comments »

Court of appeal rejects “double counting”

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

Most employers understand a claim for damages for wrongful dismissal as arising from the termination of an employee’s employment without adequate cause or notice. It can be argued that this in fact reflects a misconception of the nature of the employment contract. Except in certain limited cases of federally regulated companies,…

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Tags: Alberta Court of Appeal, British Columbia Court of Appeal, canadian employment law, compensation for losses, damages for wrongful dismissal, employment contract, employment law, federally regulated companies, indentured, Keays v. Honda, manner of dismissal, Notice of termination, notice period, reasonable notice, Soost v. Merrill Lynch Canada, Supreme Court of Canada, tenure, terminate employment without any reason, termination, working notice
Posted in Employment Standards, Human Resources | Make a Comment »

There’s no need to fear the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

Monday, September 20th, 2010

It’s true that Ontario’s businesses will incur extra costs to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). It’s true that you will have to change the way you operate, expending more time, money and effort—at least initially. So maybe you’re afraid of that. But consider that most people have no idea what not accommodating disability already costs Ontarians through taxes, health care and social services. The province is betting that the systemic and institutional changes in the AODA will actually reduce the burden on government and business by allowing the many Ontarians with mild to severe disabilities to participate in the labour market and economy.

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Tags: accessibility, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, AODA, canadian employment law, Disability, disability in the workplace, disability management, economy, education, employment law, health care, illness at work, older workers, ontario, persons with disabilities work, poverty, Releasing Constraints, Rotman, Rotman Prosperity Institute, taxes, what constitutes a disability
Posted in Accessibility Standards, Internal Controls | Make a Comment »

Video employment recruitment: the way of the future?

Friday, September 17th, 2010

I just read an interesting article discussing the concept of employment applications by video for recruitment purposes. It sounds like a good idea; could it be the way of the future?

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Tags: canadian employment law, Employment and Careers, employment law, Employment recruitment techniques, Employment video, formal interview, HR technology, job applicant, Job application, Job posting, job seeker, potential employers, Recruiting video, recruitment, recruitment program, selection process, Skype, video application, Video employment recruitment, video interview, video recruiting
Posted in Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring | 2 Comments »

New free trade agreement will allow certain Colombian citizens to work in Canada

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

On June 30, 2010, the Minister of International Trade announced that legislation to implement the recently signed Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement had received Royal Assent. From the perspective of immigration practitioners (and perhaps HR professionals), this is exciting news because once the legislation is effective, several additional work permit categories will become available to Colombian Citizens.

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Tags: Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement, Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, canadian employment law, Colombian citizens, employment law, Foreign workers, Free Trade Agreement, Hiring foreign workers, Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, Immigration Law, North American Free Trade Agreement
Posted in Corporate Immigration, Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring | Make a Comment »

Social media presenting new challenges and opportunities for people in HR

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

I recently attended one of the regular Breakfast Seminars that my Firm puts on for clients and other interested parties on topics in Labour and Employment law. The presentation, given by my fellow associates Rebekah Powell and Sarah Drodge, addressed the way that social media is presenting new challenges and opportunities for people in the HR profession.

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Tags: discrimination, facebook, Google, googling, hiring practices, HR profession, Internet, Labour and Employment law, liability, privacy settings, prohibited grounds, prospective employees, religion, religious beliefs, social media, Workplace discrimination
Posted in Human Resources, Human Rights, Privacy and Security, Recruiting and Hiring | Make a Comment »

Evidence: employer vs. employee

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

When providing evidence, your credibility is judged by how consistent your story is with common sense…

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Tags: balance of probabilities, beyond a reasonable doubt, canadian employment law, court evidence, Dismissal, employee, employer, employment law, evidence, Friesen v. Fish Bay Seafood, lawsuit, proof, terminations, wrongful dismissal
Posted in Human Resources | Make a Comment »

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