Tag: Employment law

It Takes More Than a Carrot and a Stick: Practical Ways for Getting Along with People You Can’t Avoid at Work

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews the book It Takes More Than a Carrot and a Stick: Practical Ways for Getting Along with People You Can’t Avoid at Work by Wess Roberts, Ph.D. Book explains faultfinders, or the self-righteous employees, and how employers can handle those employees. Wess Roberts, Ph.D., divides It Takes More Than […]

Northern Exposure now with Fasken Martineau

by Brian Smeenk Just as Americans are considering how much change will occur in the context of the current election season, lots of change is happening north of the 49th parallel in the labor and employment field. Not the least of which, from the perspective of this publication, is a change in law firm affiliation. […]

Legal Issues When Reducing Employees’ Hours, Wages

by Kara Shea We’ve received many questions lately from employers facing tremendous pressure to reduce their operating expenses. Some proposed cost-cutting efforts implicate various employment laws. Since things may get worse before they get better, I’m undertaking a series of articles to address some of the issues you may encounter in the months ahead. I’ll […]

Let The Office Olympic Games Begin!

The world is fully in Olympics mode, including our friends in Scranton, who are surely reliving their own Games of the First Dunder-Mifflin Olympiad. In the episode from the second season, Jim and Pam entertain themselves (while Dwight and Michael are away buying Michael’s condo) by throwing objects into Dwight’s coffee mug. They discover that […]

Say It Right the First Time

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews the book Say It Right the First Time by Loretta Malandro. Review describes Malandro’s tips for how to manage  and communicate emotionally charged people. In Say It Right the First Time Malandro talks about how to have hard conversations and improve your motivational techniques by improving communication. The section […]

Beware Liability When Workers Talk on Phone While Driving

by Karen Sargeant former of McCarthy Tetrault We have all heard the statistics (and it’s no surprise!) — driving while talking on a cell phone increases the likelihood of a car accident even if you use a “hands-free” set. At the same time, your employees have cell phones, iPhones, BlackBerries(R) and other personal data assistants […]

BlackBerry® and iPhone® Use May Lead to Overtime

In today’s technological climate, it seems that almost every employee, from the CEO to the rank-and-file worker, uses some type of personal digital assistant (PDA) or BlackBerry® device. PDAs, BlackBerries®, iPhones®, and other so called “smart phones” have a number of uses: calculator, clock, calendar, video recorder, address book, word processor, radio, and even Global […]

EEOC Opinion Letter Addresses ADA and PTSD

(Updated February 4, 2010) In March of 2008, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) addressed an issue employers may face more frequently than ever before: What obligations does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) place on employers with regard to employees who have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? HR Guide to Employment Law: A practical compliance […]

Michael Scott Lives in Provo

Much like I wondered whether Santa was real as a kid, I often wonder if there is a real-life Michael Scott out there somewhere. This week, I think that I found the answer! When sales took a slump for a Provo, Utah, company, a supervisor came up with the idea of “waterboarding” one of the […]

Supreme Court of Canada Helps Employers with Duty to Accommodate Disabilities

by Rachel Ravary McCarthy Tetrault Last week’s decision in Hydro Québec v. Syndicat des employé-e-s de techniques professionnelles et de bureau d’Hydro-Québec 2008 SCC 43 is good news for employers – finally there is a clear limit to your duty to accommodate employees who are chronically absent from work. Not only did the Supreme Court […]