protected grounds of discrimination

5 questions to consider when exploring the duty to accommodate

August 14, 2019 Occasional Contributors Employee Relations, Human Resources, Human Rights, 0

Canadian human rights law also imposes a duty to accommodate. This requires employers to ensure that persons with characteristics protected under the Code are not unfairly excluded where working conditions can be adjusted.

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No skirting around the issue: Gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination appear to be on the rise

December 7, 2018 Rudner Law, Employment / HR Law & Mediation Employee Relations, HR and Technology, Human Resources, Human Rights, Training and Development

Employers who fail to take action when there are complaints of unlawful discrimination in the workplace are exposing themselves to serious potential liability, both from a financial and a reputational perspective.

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To google or not to google? Candidate background checks

October 10, 2018 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Human Resources, Human Rights, Recruiting and Hiring

In the information age it’s usually relatively easy to find out all about someone by doing a simple Google search. The burning question of online daters, “do I google my date before the date?” applies equally to employers. Can, and should, an employer background check a candidate? If so when? And how deep can and should they go?

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Social media and recruitment

May 9, 2018 Lisa Stam, Spring Law HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Payroll, Privacy and Security, Recruiting and Hiring, Wages and Compensation

Social media is now a part of our lives, including our work lives. While it can be an important tool, employers need to use their good judgment and use it wisely.

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What is a right to request under employment standards?

December 4, 2017 Michele Glassford Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Payroll, Wages and Compensation

With the new Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 coming into force, new provisions have been put into place. One such provision is the right to request a change to work schedule or location. What are an employer’s obligations under this provision?

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“Asking for trouble”: BC Human Rights Tribunal considers whether interview questions crossed the line

November 13, 2017 Employer Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault LLP Human Resources, Human Rights, Recruiting and Hiring

The interview process can be a legal minefield for employers. One false step, one inappropriate question can give rise to a human rights complaint alleging that the employer has discriminated against the prospective employee.

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Parental obligations in the workplace

September 8, 2017 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Wages and Compensation

For many of us who are parents, September feels like the real New Year. Workplace issues can arise with respect to shifting childcare obligations, as kids transition from summer schedules to school schedules. Employers may be met with requests to accommodate worker childcare obligations or requests for time off and should be prepared with respect to how to handle these issues both practically and legally.

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Workplace politics of politics in the workplace

September 5, 2017 Michele Glassford Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Training and Development

I drove past a house flying a confederate flag last week and asked myself, “Could I live beside that person?” You can’t do anything about the politics of your neighbour, although you don’t have to invite him or her to your backyard BBQ. The workplace, however is another story. How does an employer deal with an employee’s unpopular politics?

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Beautiful People job site, hiring someone based purely on their looks

July 5, 2013 Rudner Law, Employment / HR Law & Mediation Employee Relations, Human Resources, Human Rights, Recruiting and Hiring

Recently, several posts on LinkedIn made mention of the fact that Beautifulpeople.com, a dating website, is launching a recruiting service for employers. Almost immediately, the question was raised: can employers hire based on looks?

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