September, 2010
September 30, 2010 Adam Gorley Human Resources, Payroll, Privacy and Security
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.
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
September 30, 2010 Adam Gorley Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Human Rights
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.
canadian employment law, criminal code, decriminalizing prostitution, employment law, occupational health and safety, ontario, sex trade, solicitation
September 29, 2010 Henry J. Chang Corporate Immigration, Human Resources
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.
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
September 28, 2010 Andrew Lawson Health and Safety, Human Resources, Human Rights
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?
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
September 27, 2010 Adam Gorley Human Resources
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.
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
September 24, 2010 Christina Catenacci Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development
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.
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
September 23, 2010 Adam Gorley Employee Relations, Human Resources, Human Rights
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.
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
September 22, 2010 Yosie Saint-Cyr Accessibility Standards, Human Resources, Human Rights, Privacy and Security, Standard for Employment
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?
disclosure, Disclosure of a disability, discrimination, duty to accommodate, Employees with disabilities, employment law, privacy, work environment
September 21, 2010 Earl Altman Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources
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,…
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
September 20, 2010 Adam Gorley Accessibility Standards
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.
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
September 17, 2010 Christina Catenacci Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring
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?
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
September 16, 2010 Henry J. Chang Corporate Immigration, Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring
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.
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
September 15, 2010 Andrew Taillon Human Resources, Human Rights, Privacy and Security, Recruiting and Hiring
It is becoming more and more common to hear of employers “googling” prospective employees. Where a prospective employee has a significant presence on the Internet through social media, the employer may become privy to a number of facts about the prospective employee that he or she may not have known previously.
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
September 14, 2010 Andrew Lawson Human Resources
When providing evidence, your credibility is judged by how consistent your story is with common sense…
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