Nov. 6: As in Northwest Territories, workers’ comp rates in Nunavut are heading up for the first time in three years. 2010 average assessment rate: $1.80; 2010 yearly maximum earnings: $75,200.

What in the world are you supposed to do with employees who make threats or get into fights at work? “Zero tolerance” is everybody’s favourite buzzword. But while acts of violence merit discipline, termination is often deemed too harsh, especially for a first offence. One …

Ty Tannick works at ShippRexx Marine, a federally regulated shipping company. Ty lives in Ontario. Although he keeps an office in his home, Ty usually works out of ShippRexx’s offices in Gatineau, Québec, which is also his “province of employment.” On rare occasions, he has …

HR directors are ultimately be judged by their hiring decisions. Done right, probationary employment will help you hire the right people; done wrong, it will expose your organization to a host of legal claims. Most of the things that can cause a probationary employment arrangement …

You can fire any employee you want any time you want—as long as you don’t mind shelling out for notice, vacation, severance and other termination payments. The good news is that employees don’t get termination payments if they’re fired for “just cause.” The bad news …

Labour Market
Nov. 5: National unemployment edged down to 7.9% in October. The salient pattern of was gains in full-time jobs being offset by the loss of part-time positions. Alberta had a good jobs month while Nova Scotia got creamed. Little changed in the other provinces. …

With all the news about the financial struggles of defined benefit plans, it’s easy to forget the huge surpluses that many plans run up—or at least used to run up in better times. Who owns that money—the employer or the plan members? A new Supreme …

While completely banning office romance is probably unrealistic, there are still some legitimate limitations you need to establish. One of them is that managers shouldn’t get romantically involved with their subordinates. Abuse of managerial authority to extract sexual favours is a blatant form of sex …

Karen Forrason, a single parent, is hired as a banquet manager by a local hotel on a probationary basis. The first 2 ½ months go well. But the last few affairs she caters are marred by snafus, including the inadvertent addition of raisins to the …

Pensions
Nov. 22: A new Instruction Guide sets out the criteria the Superintendent will use to okay asset transfers from federally regulated DB plans to other plans, including actuarial information DB plan must provide, determination of amount transferred and whether receiving plans are deemed materially less …

HR compliance didn’t make many headlines in 2010. But while it was more evolution than revolution, significant change did occur. As we do every year, the Insider offers perspective on the past year in HR compliance. In addition to pointing out the 5 biggest stories …

“Dismissal for cause constitutes the most severe penalty and has often been categorized as equivalent to capital punishment.”

–Québec Superior Court in Lysecky v. UPS of Canada Ltd., Oct. 29, 2010

Comparing termination to the death penalty might seem a tad melodramatic. But that’s …

Wrongful dismissal doesn’t necessarily mean having to say “you’re fired.” When working conditions become bad enough, employees can take it upon themselves to pack up and leave and still sue you for wrongful dismissal. This is called “constructive dismissal” and it can be triggered by …

Izzy Gudenov takes a 6-month probationary position with ABC Inc. paying $3,000 per month. If the Bank is happy with Izzy’s performance at the end of the period, he’ll get a 3-year deal at $5,000 per month.  The contract clearly states that the employment is …