Employment (Non-union)
Category RSS FeedB.C.’s Workplace Anti-Bullying Legislation
I apologize for the lengthy break. During this time my friend and in-house lawyer, Ms. M, suggested that I post something about Bill 14 – the Workers’ Compensation Amendment Act. Last week on Pink Shirt day the Vancouver Sun ran an article by business reporter, Darah Hansen (aka “goldenkid1”), that also prompted me to address my writer’s block … Continue Reading
Restaurants should be careful with minimum wage for liquor servers
The minimum wage for most workers in British Columbia increased again on November 1, 2011 to $9.50 per hour. A lower minimum wage is permitted for workers who serve liquor. Restaurant and bar owners and managers should be alert to the potential for unions to use this distinction in organizing campaigns to certify non-union workplaces.
The … Continue Reading
Expanding Family Status Accommodation
I am back from another great CACE conference in Niagara Falls. During a human rights session, Michael Wagner, who is RG’s managing partner, took a poll of the approximately 100 attendees in that session. Almost every lawyer in attendance had been dealing in the past year with issues related to requests from employees to accommodate child care-giving responsibilities. There … Continue Reading
Off-duty Impaired Driving
The problem: Postmedia News ran an article last week by Katie DeRosa and Lindsay Kines titled “Employers caught off guard by new drunk-driving rules”. The Vancouver Sun also ran a similar article by Neal Hall titled, “Impaired-driving devices cause headaches for offenders, employers”. The cause of the problem (aside from people choosing to drive while … Continue Reading
Stanley Cup Hockey Riots and Workplace Safety?
The incident: A short time ago I watched the Vancouver Canucks lose the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins in game 7 of the finals. It was a very disappointing experience for true Canucks fans, players, and others affiliated with the team. However, it was far more disappointing and disgusting to watch live coverage following the game of so … Continue Reading
Managing Social Media in the Workplace with Policies
The problem: In my post, “Defamation of Employers on Social Media”, I discussed one of the key problems for employers associated with the rapid growth of social media. Lawyer Marko Vesely discussed this problem recently on bcbusinessonline.ca which also links to another series of posts on social media in the workplace on the Legalist by Lawyer Nicole … Continue Reading
Defamation of Employers on Social Media
Introduction: The problems for employers arising from the rapid growth of social media include decreased productivity, defamation and disparagement of the employer and its employees and customers on a public and massive scale, disclosure of confidential information, and harassment of employees. Many of these problems are complicated by the fact that they can be undertaken by … Continue Reading
Simple Offer Letters Limit Liability
Bottom Line: Written employment agreements are an important tool for employers to protect their interests and manage their obligations. They are especially important when hiring key personnel and executives. However, they can be cumbersome for use with an entire workforce. On the other hand, simple offer letters based on a standard template are versatile and can still significantly decrease certain legal obligations such as severance and establish expectations … Continue Reading
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