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Serious insight for serious situations.

Serious insight for serious situations.

Insights

Reflections and news direct from Rubin Thomlinson.
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All’s fair in love and employment: Using lessons in love to help terminated employees

As Valentine’s Day approaches, our minds turn to love, romance and, most importantly, chocolate. For some people, Valentine’s Day is not such a happy time, as it reminds them of elusive or unrequited love. For terminated employees, heartbreak arises not from a lost love, but from a lost job. Like the jilted partner in a

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No just cause after employer fails to investigate allegations of anti-Semitic remarks

An employer alleges that an employee made anti-Semitic remarks about the employer’s owners, the employer reacts and terminates the employee for cause, an investigation is not conducted, and the employee is not given an opportunity to respond to the allegations before he is terminated. This was the case in Ludchen v. Stelcrete Industries Ltd., where

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Bueller?… Bueller?… Bueller?*

*Inspired by the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – the picture perfect example of why employers should require medical notes for “sick days”. On Wednesday January 8, 2014, the Globe and Mail published an article titled:  “Stop asking employees for sick notes, OMA head urges” written by Erin Anderssen. The article

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Does the application process of a potential employer make you want to projectile vomit? If so, keep it to yourself

On January 14, 2014, a Twitter user by the name of DJ PU$$ PU$$ made a critical error in judgment. While completing her application for admission to the HBA program at the Ivey Business School, she tweeted: “this ivey application makes me want to projectile vomit into the head of admission’s mouth”. Of course, the

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An alternative to the traditional investigation model

In addition to traditional workplace investigations, sometimes we are asked to conduct broader inquiries into concerns of systemic barriers and discriminatory policies and practices. To do so, we use a variety of information gathering techniques such as policy reviews, data analysis, questionnaires, focus groups and one-on-one interviews. As the variety of matters for which organizations

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Beware talk of retirement…

I was chatting recently with a friend about someone we both know who was forced to find employment at an advanced age because of his financial circumstances. There was no doubt in our minds that our mutual acquaintance would have far preferred to spend the remaining years of his life doing something other than pounding

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Help! I have a terrible workplace investigation report on my desk

Unfortunately, for those of us who support employers through workplace investigations, it is almost inevitable that one day, a truly terrible workplace investigation report will land on our desks. These reports may be prepared by people internal to our clients’ workplaces, or they may be prepared by an external investigator. What do I mean by

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‘Twas the payday after christmas*: An employer’s (rhyming) guide to the joys of public holiday pay

*With inspiration from (and apologies to) Clement Clarke Moore, and his classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. ‘Tho the basics of holiday pay are well-known, The details of compliance are oft met with a groan. But for managers, for supervisors, for HR and for pay-roll, Meeting the statutory requirements is always the main-goal. So with

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