Author Archive - Lauren Bride

Lauren Bride, B.A. (English Literature / Philosophy) is a writer, copywriter, and editor, working in both fiction and nonfiction. She has done extensive writing and editing for commercial, private, and government clients, as well as story editing and fiction publication. Lauren also volunteers with the not for profit group NABORS (Toronto). Read more

Ontario Human Rights Commission to update its policy on creed and religious observances

November 29, 2012 Lauren Bride Human Resources, Human Rights

The Ontario Human Rights Commission issued a release recently to notify the public about an upcoming update to its policy on creed and accommodation of religious observances. The policy was created 15 years ago and is now due to be reviewed and amended to reflect the current demographics in Ontario. Public feedback is being collected to inform the new policy – yes, this means you.

creed, discrimination, duty to accommodate, employment law, human rights code, OHRC, ontario, Ontario human rights commission, policy and procedures, Policy on Creed and the Accommodation of Religious Observances, public consultation, religious accommodation, religious freedom

Report on the Ontario human rights review revisited: Concerns it may raise for employers

November 19, 2012 Lauren Bride Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Human Resources, Human Rights, Recruiting and Hiring, Standard for Employment

Last week we posted an entry about the Attorney General’s report on the Ontario Human Rights Review. Today’s post will revisit the report, attending to the concerns it may raise for employers.

Attorney General, discrimination, employers, filing an application, foreign migrant workers, Foreign workers, harassment, hiring, human resource practices, human rights code, human rights system, human rights violations, ontario, Ontario human rights commission, Ontario Human Rights Review, Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, persons with disabilities, promotion practices, racialized Ontarians, social areas of employment, systemic discrimination, termination, wrongful dismissal

Attorney General’s report on the Ontario Human Rights Review, 2012 Part 1

November 14, 2012 Lauren Bride Human Resources, Human Rights

The Attorney General of Ontario released a report last week on the Ontario Human Rights Review for 2012. While both the Attorney General and the Ontario Human Rights Commission both function within the greater Ontario government, this review was created independently of government agency, with the aim to examine how the current system performs toward the highest goals to maintain justice, transparency, timeliness, and works against systemic discrimination.

Attorney General, employment law, Human Rights Legal Support Centre, human rights system, Mediation, Ontario human rights commission, Ontario Human Rights Review, Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, public service, systemic discrimination

Understanding employee privacy and work-issued computers

October 31, 2012 Lauren Bride Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Privacy and Security

Last week, Alison J. Bird wrote for the First Reference Talks blog about the R. v. Cole case, involving a high school teacher who had kept photos of a naked, underage student on his work computer. In the several days, there have been a flurry of news stories calling attention to privacy boundaries employees can expect regarding work-licensed technology.

Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, company IT and employee privacy policies, company policy, Daniel Michaluk, Due diligence, Employee privacy, employee privacy and work-issued computers, employment law, internet browsing history, passwords, personal information, policies around work-issued computers and other electronic devices, privacy boundaries, privacy law, private-sector privacy laws, R. v. Cole, safeguards, Supreme Court of Canada, The Lawyers Weekly, type of digital file, work-licensed technology, workplace policies

Providing tax-free shares to forgo employment rights

October 29, 2012 Lauren Bride Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Recruiting and Hiring, Wages and Compensation

Interesting employment law developments are happening in the UK. Beginning in April 2013, British employees will be offered a new option in employment contracts, where they may own shares in the company they work for and in exchange, will forgo certain workers’ rights.

Employee owned shares, employment contracts, employment law, Financial incentives, forgo employment rights, hiring incentives, management, ownership in the company, personal financial investment, Profit sharing, redundancy, salary, shares for rights options, shares in the company, tax-free shares, United Kingdom, workplace's financial prosperity, wrongful dismissal

Identifying vulnerable workers and precarious work

September 28, 2012 Lauren Bride Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Human Rights, Payroll, Recruiting and Hiring, Wages and Compensation

The Law Commission of Ontario recently published their “Interim Report on Vulnerable Workers and Precarious Work”, a province-wide study that is designed to provoke public feedback on or before October 1, 2012. In response to the feedback gathered, the LCO intends to release a culminating report in the winter of 2012.

economic stability, employment law, employment security, Law Commission of Ontario, low wages, nature of employment types, precarious work, vulnerable workers