Freaky AND functional – the robots are here!
When a robot is capable of multiple types of manual labour, is able to work twice as long as a human and will never complain about working conditions, many human workers have got something to worry about, even if that robot comes with a giant price tag. With no worries about harassment complaints, no fear of strikes, no backtalk and no vacation to worry about, many employers will look at independent robots as model employees.
Adam Gorley
4 minutes read
October 28, 2010
The underrepresentation of women in the workplace
I just read an interesting report about women in the workplace. Essentially, the report suggests that women remain underrepresented relative to their male counterparts, even though they form a highly educated and skilled labour pool in the market. Given the skills shortage that is expected to occur in the near future due to mass retirements of senior baby boomer workers, this is an unsettling finding. But why is this happening?
Christina Catenacci, BA, LLB, LLM, PhD
Workplace violence in self-defence: what does the law say?
Although some readers believe that any kind of workplace violence is inappropriate, there was a consensus that acting within reason to protect yourself is okay—nobody should be expected to “stand there and take a beating”.
Andrew Lawson
Employers’ strategic use of employees’ duty to mitigate
Mitigation of damages in the context of a wrongful dismissal claim is one of those concepts that is often referred to but not well understood.
Rudner Law, Employment / HR Law & Mediation
Court of appeal rejects ‘double counting’
Most employers understand a claim for damages for wrongful dismissal as arising from the termination of an employee’s employment without adequate cause or notice. It can be argued that this in fact reflects a misconception of the nature of the employment contract. Except in certain limited cases of federally regulated companies,…
Earl Altman
Disturbing death of an underage worker – hearing begins October 2010
A recent article described the tragic death of a boy who was 15 years old and working as a paver for a company near Winnipeg. The company truck was dumping asphalt into a massive pile to use for various projects. The underage worker was helping unload the truck when he was hit by the entire load and buried alive under burning asphalt.
Christina Catenacci, BA, LLB, LLM, PhD
Don’t push the employees – Court of Appeal deals with damages in a wrongful dismissal claim
The scope of damages available in wrongful dismissal claims has been steadily widening over the past decade. However, in a decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal, released on May 28, 2010, the Court reversed this trend by rejecting tort liability of an employer for intentional infliction of mental suffering arising from a dismissal.
Earl Altman
The health and workplace benefits of team sports
Team activities, whether organized or informal, offer numerous health benefits—both physical and mental—they can be a perfect fit for enhancing workplace wellness.
Adam Gorley
Employer’s duty to accommodate an employee’s illness
I am often asked by HR Managers and other supervisory personnel how long an employee can be off work due to illness before he is deemed to have abandoned his position. Many HR people question whether they have to retain the opening indefinitely where there is no reliable prediction as to when an employee will return to work. The issue is important in that…
Earl Altman
