Who’s the ‘Spouse’ Entitled to Dead Member’s Survivor Pension?
When pension plan members die, their benefits go to the surviving spouse. But there may be rival claimants to that position, especially when a member takes on a common law [...]
You Make the Call: Must Employers Give a Reason for Termination?
You don’t have to give a reason for without cause termination but you must provide notice and act in good faith. Termination is often a harrowing experience for employers and [...]
Can You Fire an Employee for Secretly Recording Work Conversations? – Quiz
It may not be a crime but secretly taping co-workers and managers can be just cause to terminate Employees can turn into spies, especially when they feel like you’re mistreating [...]
You Make the Call—Employee or Independent Contractor?
One of the trickiest challenges faced by payroll is distinguishing between employees and independent contractors. Here’s a scenario illustrating the factors that apply in the context of determining whether employment [...]
Diversity Quiz
How well do you understand the concepts of diversity and inclusion? Diversity isn’t the same thing as avoiding discrimination. Human rights laws simply require you to tolerate people of different [...]
Is Off Duty Sex Harassment Just Cause to Terminate? – Quiz
Workplace harassment can occur away from the office and after work hours. Consider the following scenario. SITUATION Four female employees are the victim of offensive and highly inappropriate conduct at [...]
What Should You Do If Employees Exhibit Symptoms of COVID-19? – Quiz
Send employees with COVID-19 symptoms home, regardless of their vaccination status. There’s been some confusion about what employers should do when one of their employees exhibits symptoms of COVID-19. The [...]
Is Enforcing Mandatory Vaccination Employment Discrimination? – Quiz
It depends on whether employees refuse due to a disability or personal preference. Getting the COVID-19 vaccination is still a personal choice. But as the delta variant wreaks devastation, more [...]
How the New Federal Minimum Wage Works: Quiz
Federal employees get whichever minimum wage is the highest. Once upon a time, there was no such thing as a federal minimum wage. Airlines, railways, telecoms and other federally regulated [...]
Do Employees Have to Disclose Their Youth Criminal Background Records?
Requiring employees for youth criminal records may be okay if convictions are related to job duties. SITUATION Theft is a constant concern at a clothing store where unsupervised employees have [...]