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Dec 9, 2024 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
As employment lawyers, we frequently get questions from safety-conscious employers about impairment on the job and how to address employee drug and alcohol use.
For example, can an employer require an employee to submit to a drug or alcohol test before they start work for the day? Also, if the test shows impairment, can the employer dismiss the employee for cause, on the spot?
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
It seems obvious, doesn’t it? When you dismiss an employee for cause, you need to tell them they’re being dismissed for cause at the time. But sometimes, you want to be nice, or you want to avoid a confrontation, or you want them to receive some severance and be eligible for employment insurance benefits, so you choose not to mention just cause.
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Oct 28, 2024 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
Penalizing employees for making complaints can create liability for employers By Oct 28, 2024
Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
One of your employees has complained about not receiving overtime pay after having worked a few extra hours without permission. Your company has policies stating that unauthorized overtime will not be paid.
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Sep 15, 2024 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
The employment relationship is a simple concept. An individual provides their labour to an employer, who compensates them. Usually, the flow of money is one way: from employer to employee.
But what happens when an employee owes money to their employer; can they simply withhold or deduct from the employee's wages?
As is often the case, the answer is that ‘it depends’.
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Sep 11, 2024 | 
mdpi.com | Sarah Jefferson |Christina Gray |Geoffrey Lowe
1. IntroductionWhile considerable research attention has been devoted to early career teachers and their attrition rates, globally, it is estimated that there will be a shortage of 44 million teachers in 2030 [1]. As such, teacher retention has been and continues to be an acute and pressing issue in education policy as well as in research; little attention has been paid to veteran teachers—especially those who remain positive towards teaching—and the characteristics that sustain them.
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Apr 15, 2024 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
What happens when there is evidence, or even suspicion, of harassment but the victim doesn’t complain? Does the employer have an obligation to carry out an investigation?
If the employer finds harassment, in the absence of a complaining victim, can the employer discipline the responsible parties?
InMetrolinx v.
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Feb 16, 2024 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
It seems like common sense. Everything you talk to your lawyer about is confidential, and remains that way forever, right? Maybe - not always.
This confidentiality is called privilege. At law, privilege exists in two primary contexts. First, the relationship between lawyer and client is called solicitor-client privilege. The second, litigation privilege, relates to anything prepared in anticipation of litigation.
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Jan 17, 2024 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
Advertising for a job is about as straightforward as it gets, right? All you need to do is outline the duties, the qualifications, the location, and where necessary, that the company will provide accommodation. The salary could remain unmentioned until the interview process - or even the offer stage.
That was the case for all of Canada until May 2023, when British Columbia enacted its Pay Transparency Act (which came into effect in November).
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Dec 11, 2023 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
On February 1, 2024, amendments to the Canada Labour Code (CLC) will come into force, increasing the amount of notice a federally regulated employer must provide an employee on termination of employment from the current two weeks to a maximum of eight weeks.
This brings employee entitlements under CLC in line with provincial employment statutes.
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Nov 16, 2023 | 
hrreporter.com | Geoffrey Lowe
What to do when the last day doesn’t mean the last day By Exclusive to Canadian HR Reporter from Rudner Law.
Doesn’t retirement seem straightforward? An employee, after many years of dedicated service, decides that they’ve had enough (or have enough) and put in their notice of their last day of work. Their employer starts to make preparations for the employee’s going away party, and the employee gracefully departs.
Things don’t always work out that smoothly, however.
