Serious insight for serious situations.

Serious insight for serious situations.

Alberta court reaffirms reasonable notice entitlements for dependent contractors

At the end of a typical employment relationship, it is not uncommon for the parties to disagree over the amount of “reasonable notice” (or pay in lieu of notice) that the employer is required to give to the employee under common law. However, in situations where an organization has retained an individual as a contractor

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High there!* Do employers need to accommodate the smoking of medical marijuana in the workplace?

As many employers already know, smoking in the workplace is prohibited in Ontario. However, with the topic of medical marijuana increasingly in the news, a question that comes to mind is: “Does this prohibition apply to the smoking of medical marijuana in the workplace?” Section 9 of the Smoke–Free Ontario Act  states: No person shall

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Interpretive dance: The modern resignation letter

Just when I think I’ve seen every possible way for social media to be incorporated into the employment relationship, one of my Generation Y contemporaries surprises me again. This time it’s a video which Marina Shifrin of New York City has used to resign from her employment with Next Media Animation. And in the past

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Ethical issues in employment negotiations: Not avoiding the unavoidable

This morning, at the Law Society of Upper Canada, I chaired a panel composed of several “well-seasoned” employment lawyers. The panel discussion was “broadcast” via teleseminar, and the five of us, plus an intimate gathering of 1500 lawyers and paralegals who gathered around their computers, delved into the ethical issues that confront us as employment

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Occupational health & safety: Why fire drills matter

When I was young, a fire drill usually meant a welcome escape from the classroom.  Marching single-file, my classmates and I would end up in the schoolyard, where we’d enjoy what felt like an extra recess period. Fast-forward to working life, and fire drills have – for many of us – become synonymous with annoyance. 

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Mind your own business!

Recently I was asked to conduct an investigation by an organization that had received a complaint from another organization with which they did business, on behalf of one of its employees. While many of the investigation steps will be the same as in a more traditional internal investigation, the request did raise some important process

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Let’s talk billions: The hidden costs of bullying

Over the years I’ve encountered many organizations where bullying is a pervasive part of the culture. In some cases, I’ve represented victims of this behaviour. In others, I’ve conducted investigations into allegations of bullying. Sometimes this has even come up in training sessions where I’ve been asked to come and speak to employees about respect

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Rubin Thomlinson’s top 10 favourite workplace movies

On the heels of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, we thought it would be the perfect time to give our audience a list of our favourite workplace movies. While our work sometimes exposes us to situations that seem to be straight out of a movie, we have endeavored to restrict our list to include only

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