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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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AODA compliance: Audits and websites

During a recent AODA training session that I conducted, it became apparent that most organizations represented at the session had taken steps to meet their obligations under the Customer Service Standard and were now preparing for the next stage of compliance under the Integrated Accessibility Standards (IAS), dealing with employment, information and communication and transportation.

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What to do when employees are not flooding to work

The other week, Toronto was hit with a major rainstorm that ground parts of the city to a halt. The effect of the storm was felt particularly by those in the west end of the city whose homes, businesses and streets were flooded by the uncharacteristic amount of rain. Naturally, those affected by the storm

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If you think reorganizing your workplace is as easy as the PM’s most recent cabinet shuffle, think again!

This week’s ministerial cabinet shuffle got me thinking about workplace changes and the risks associated with them.  From time to time employers feel the need to make significant personnel changes in their workplace which can include revising the duties, titles, and pay structure for some of their employees. While the business may dictate such a

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Court reinforces employer’s responsibility in managing sexual harassment and refuses to accept antiquated thinking

In a recent decision, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada v. Communications, Energy and Paperworkers’ Union of Canada, Local 3011, 2013 ONSC 2725, the Ontario Divisional Court held that the discharge of an employee who had sexually hara­ssed a co-worker was an appropriate penalty.  The employee, a mail room clerk, tried to kiss

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Shhhhh….. Breathing new life into confidentiality provisions: The Globe and Mail wins its case against Jan Wong

I often find myself explaining the meaning of a confidentiality provision to an employer who I am representing in mediation or in settlement negotiations.   I am always asked what if the other side breaches it and says something about what we have agreed to pay them?  What can I do?  The answer, I must admit,

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Guilty verdict and prison sentence handed down in BC ferry tragedy

On March 22, 2006, the ferry “Queen of the North” ran aground and sank in Wright Sound, British Columbia.   Tragically, two passengers were lost and presumed drowned. The ensuing Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded that the ferry’s navigation officer, Karl Lilgert, had at the time of the accident been engaged in conversation with Karen Briker,

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What Vince Vaughn teaches us about the workplace

Last week, some members of the Rubin Thomlinson team watched “The Internship”, where the comedic duo of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson moved on from crashing weddings to crashing Google’s summer internship program. The film begins with a pair of outdated salesmen (Vaughn and Wilson) losing their jobs when their employer closes its doors. Instead

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Managing the modern workforce requires ambidexterity (and your marketing department can help)

This week I attended a Strategic Capability Network event entitled “HR of the Future in a Global World”, presented by Luca Solari, a visiting professor of human resource management at California Polytechnic State University. In his presentation, Professor Solari compared a human resource professional seeking attention from senior management to a teenager seeking attention from

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