technology

What is the right to disconnect, and does it apply in Canada?

May 1, 2019 Christina Catenacci Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR and Technology, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Training and Development, 0

The right to disconnect refers to employees’ ability to disconnect from work and not engage in work-related communications while they are off-duty.

digital communications, digital overload, employment law, flexible work arrangements, flexible work hours, technology, worker burnout

Whose device is it anyway?

March 6, 2019 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, HR and Technology, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources

Many workplaces have adapted to the fluid use of technology and encourage their employees to use their own technology at work through bring your own device (BYOD) policies.

bring your own device, BYOD policies, employment law, remote work arrangements, technology

Rise of the machines in the workplace

February 6, 2019 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, HR and Technology, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development

Is your workplace about to be automated? A recent study by McKinsey & Company suggests that about half of the activities (not jobs) carried out by workers could be automated right now with currently available technologies.

AI, artificial intelligence, automated, automation, employment law, machines in the workplace, technology

Remote workers: Pros, cons and tips

June 6, 2018 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources

Workflow and infrastructure will need to adjust if employees are working remotely. The more paperless and automated, the easier it is to make the transition to remote work. Video conferencing, phone calls and some sort of in-person meeting on a regular basis are all good practices to make sure that employees working from home still have an opportunity for in-person communication with other employees.

best work practices and systems, Bill 148 the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act 2017, employee communication, employment contract, employment law, remote workers, schedule or location change, technology, work, work from home, working remotely

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruiting

January 10, 2018 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, Human Resources, Privacy and Security, Recruiting and Hiring

Stories about artificial intelligence (AI) stealing our jobs and robots going rogue have been in our collective consciousness for years. Elon Musk has also sounded the alarm bells’, calling AI the “biggest risk we face as a civilization”. While he may know a few things I don’t, I can’t say that I agree. Always one to embrace technology, I think AI has great potential to be used by businesses in the HR space, such as to make hiring practices more efficient and more fair.

AI, AI in the workplace, applicant screening, artificial intelligence, Elon Musk, hiring practices, HR space, micro-muscle movements, Online dating sites, resumes, risk management, technology

Secret recordings in the workplace: A review of legal and practical consequences

July 14, 2017 Vey Willetts LLP Employee Relations, HR and Technology, Human Resources

While it may be legal to surreptitiously record your own workplace conversations, it is another question altogether as to whether it is a good idea. Canadian courts have acknowledged time and again that trust is at the heart of the employment relationship.

breach of confidentiality, code of conduct, confidentiality, digital ownership, duty of confidentiality, employment law, recordings, technology, termination, Termination process

Top four tech tips for terminations

June 8, 2016 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR and Technology, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Privacy and Security, Union Relations

As technology continues to overhaul the workplace and drive change, what remains the same is the emotional uncertainty of termination. Neither the employee, nor the person tasked with conducting the termination, enjoy that awkward meeting.

BYOD, digital assets, digital communications, digital ownership, employment contracts, employment law, handling technology upon termination, off-boarding, social media, technology, termination, Termination process

Introducing our newest guest blogger Lisa Stam from Koldorf Stam LLP

December 22, 2015 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Privacy and Security, Union Relations

We are very pleased to announce that Lisa Stam, Koldorf Stam LLP will be blogging on First Reference Talks starting in January 2016 on the impact, risks and opportunities of social media and technology issues in the workplace, including issues related to BYOD and the mobile workforce, workplace misconduct, privacy breaches, evidentiary weight of social media information, social media crisis management, cross-jurisdictional and global issues with social media, and general strategy on handling social media in business, among other employment and human rights related topics.

Blogger, employment law, First Reference Talks, Guest blogger, Koldorf Stam LLP, Lisa Stam, social media, technology, technology issues in the workplace

Does computer literacy come between your employees and their work?

June 5, 2012 Adam Gorley Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development

We’ve made a fair amount of noise about the generational differences in today’s workplaces. There are four generations of workers in the labour market, each with different expectations and methods of work. But in most workplaces, regardless of workers’ ages and attitudes, there is one constant: they all use the same computers. Today’s computers might be versatile enough to support various working styles, but are workers—young and old—adaptable enough to use them efficiently?

application designers, computer literacy, Computers, employer policy, generation of workers, good computer practices, knowledgeable employees, methods of work, technology, user interface, work computers, workers' ages and attitudes, working styles

Personal information online: new tools, old responsibilities

October 24, 2011 Adam Gorley Employee Relations, Human Resources, Privacy and Security

Sometimes, technology creates new ways to exploit information faster than the law and business can keep up. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is trying to make sure that doesn’t happen in the case of behavioural advertising. Last year, the Privacy Commissioner conducted consultations on the new ways that organizations are collecting and using customers’ personal information, and prepared its Report on the 2010 Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s Consultations on Online Tracking, Profiling and Targeting, and Cloud Computing.

behavioural advertising, marketing, mobile technology, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, oipc, privacy, Privacy Commissioner, profiling, targeting, technology, tracking

Slaw: Disgruntled former worker who hijacked network must pay city $1,485,791

June 2, 2011 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Human Resources, Privacy and Security

In a recent survey of 500 information technology and data security workers, 40 percent said they could easily use their knowledge of encryption keys, shared passwords, weak controls and loopholes in data security programs to make off with information, or hold their organization’s data hostage. And 31 percent said that, even if they no longer worked for the company, with their knowledge of the systems they could access encryption keys and authorization codes and hack in remotely to snoop, secretly alter files or shut down the data system.

administrative passwords to the network, data security, Digital security firm, disgruntled former employees, employment law, encryption keys, IT department, IT employee, network, network security practices, poor management, risk management, sensitive data, technology, terminations, Venafi

Are our devices harming our health?

February 1, 2011 Adam Gorley Health and Safety, Human Resources

I’ve caved. The end of my phone contract has been looming large, and as I pondered my options, somehow I thought, “I’d really like to be more connected.” So I’m ditching my two-year-old, decidedly not smart, flip phone and getting an iPhone—and a data plan. Soon I’ll be able to tweet and update my Facebook status and share photos wherever I am. And I’m afraid.

conduct and behaviour, distraction, downtime, employee Internet use, employee relations, exhaustion, facebook, focus, hours of work and overtime claims, Internet, iPhone, multi-tasking, overtime, performance, productivity, risky behaviour, smartphones, social media, stall-call, stress, technology, twitter, wireless

Most organizations still don’t encrypt data when it leaves the office

December 17, 2010 Christina Catenacci Human Resources, Privacy and Security

I recently read a news release by the Alberta Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner that indicated that there are still high incidences of laptops containing personal information being stolen—without having security measures such as encryption put in place. The commissioner was left scratching his head.

Alberta, canadian employment law, employment law, encryption, Encryption technology, identity theft, laptops, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, personal information, private sector privacy legislation, protecting personal information, security measures, stolen laptops, technology

Improving web accessibility – our own!

December 6, 2010 Adam Gorley Accessibility Standards, Announcements and Administration, Standard for Customer Service, Standard for Information and Communications

Customers demand more of businesses in so many ways these days—better quality and safety, greater social and environmental responsibility, extra service, and accessibility. The law increases its demands frequently, too. Even our governments and public service providers have a hard time keeping up with the legal requirements! Making improvements in all of these areas can challenge an organization, but only accessibility offers the advantage of access to a market of unrealized potential.

accessibility, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, accommodating a disability, AODA, blind, blog comments, canadian employment law, CAPTCHA, Disability, dyslexia, employment law, internet accessibility, learning disability, screen reader, technology, vision loss, web accessibility

Workplace communication and the real world: email features for the quick-tempered and impulsive

August 30, 2010 Adam Gorley Human Resources, Training and Development

You’ve written an email that says some things you might be better off saying in person—or not at all—right? Like when you wanted to tell off a co-worker—or supervisor—about taking credit for your work, or putting you down in front of the boss, or just for generally being a jerk. Maybe you were caught up in the anger of the moment—you let your temper get the best of you—or maybe you were just a bit—or a lot—drunk. And maybe you hit that “Send” button, and maybe you reconsidered before it was too late. I don’t like to imagine the result of sending such a message.

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