Do you agree that workplaces should have a dress code?
Human resources experts agree that employees appreciate knowing your expectations about how they should dress for work-if they exist. However, some managers and employers disagree with dress codes. One of our subscribers wondered what our readers think, so in a recent HRinfodesk poll, we asked, Do you agree that workplaces should have a dress code?
Ted Kenney
9 minutes read
September 4, 2014
Reasons to object to a workers’ compensation claim
Objecting to the validity of a Workers’ Compensation (WSIB) claim or to a decision made by the Board is an important part of effective claims management. Not doing this level of due diligence can be extremely costly for your organization.
Clear Path Employer Services
Is 15 years old too young to work construction?
A very sad story was recently published in the Globe and Mail about a 15-year-old boy who was working at a gravel-crushing site in Alberta, when he became entangled in a conveyor belt and was killed. It leaves one wondering whether the age of 15 is an appropriate age for young persons to be working in the construction industry.
Christina Catenacci, BA, LLB, LLM, PhD
No perfect attendance bonus to employee on workers’ compensation leave of absence
Managing absenteeism and dealing with the associated costs are among the most difficult things employers face. Accordingly, many employers try to incentivize employees to improve their attendance by providing bonuses based on meeting attendance thresholds. Seems simple enough. However, what if an employee is off work on a disability leave? That employee is off work through no fault of his/her own yet otherwise had perfect attendance. Should such an employee be able to claim the attendance bonus?
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Top benefits trends for Canadian employers to track in 2014
Rising costs, court challenges and legislative changes are three trends employers should track to manage employee health care benefits in the coming year. These three areas will continue to drive employee health care policies for employers. Awareness and planning in these areas will help employers to contain costs and avoid discrimination charges regarding provision of benefits.
Marcia Scheffler
Ontario Court of Appeal rules on distracted driving and handheld devices
The Ontario Court of Appeal has recently ruled on the issue of distracted driving caused by “holding” handheld devices in two companion decisions: R. v. Kazemi 2013 ONCA 585 and R. v. Pizzurro, 2013 ONCA 584. In both cases, the Court of Appeal has strictly interpreted the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (“HTA”) to mean that holding a handheld device while driving constitutes a breach of the statute because it results in distracted driving that should be avoided at all costs.
Simon Heath, BA, MIR, LLB, Heath Law
Return to work and the duty to accommodate in non-WSIB cases
So your employee is off work again for the third time this year, you have no idea when they are coming back and their physician’s note is a vague cipher. It is not a work injury, so you know you don’t have to worry about WSIB, but it is a staffing issue for your organization and a serious concern. What should you do?
Marcia Scheffler
Can employers in Canada refuse to hire smokers?
Recently, an Ottawa-based tech company called Momentous Corp. has attracted national attention because it implemented a blanket policy against hiring smokers and advertises that it will hire non-smokers only. In order to reduce its health costs, Momentous prohibits the hiring of or allowing any smoking on its property during working hours…
Simon Heath, BA, MIR, LLB, Heath Law
Understanding and addressing crime in the workplace
This column will address the increasingly important subject of crime in the workplace. A review of news headlines across Canada on any given day shows the sheer prevalence and harmful impact of work-related crime. Organizations have a moral and legal obligation to understand the crime threats they face and to take diligent steps in managing crime and security risks.
David Hyde