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Serious insight for serious situations.

Serious insight for serious situations.

The power of a policy

We are often asked to either create, update or, as investigators, apply a workplace policy by various organizations. An organization may be in need of a policy to satisfy a legal obligation – i.e. a piece of legislation requires it. Or it may be for strategic reasons – to set certain standards in the absence

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Revisiting unilateral amendments to employment contracts and policies

In the modern business world, employers are required to stay current and adapt to ever-changing legal and economic demands.  As part of the survival process, employers are often tasked with updating work-related documents.  However, there are legal repercussions associated with unilateral amendments to pre-existing employment contracts and policies which employers must be cognizant of. The

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He said WHAT about me?! Defamation in the workplace investigation context

In a workplace investigation, it is not uncommon for complainants and potential witnesses to express concerns about job-related reprisals before speaking to the investigator. Recently, however, I had witnesses in two separate investigations tell me that they did not want to participate for fear of being sued by the respondent, with one witness specifically referencing

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Multiple stabbing in Toronto workplace: A tragic reminder of employers’ obligations under Bill 168

April 9, 2014 brought shocking news of an employee who allegedly reacted to the termination of his employment by pulling a knife during the dismissal meeting and stabbing four of his co-workers.  At the time of this writing, three of those individuals remain in hospital—two of them in critical condition. News reports indicate that the

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Workplace violence and harassment compliance: A tragic reminder

On September 15, 2012, a Toronto gas station attendant was killed after reportedly being dragged and run down by the vehicle of a customer who was attempting to leave the station without paying for fuel. This incident is a tragic example of the type of workplace violence that motivated the Bill 168 amendments to the

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