Category: Employment

Damages: Making Anti-Harassment Policies Work in the United States

Harassment has been in the news a lot lately in the United States, with several high-profile terminations at well-known companies. Companies are losing millions of dollars, not just in settlements and verdicts, but in lost customers and bad publicity. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, is the administrative agency responsible for enforcing laws prohibiting...

Damages: The Dark Side of Having Employees in the United States

Canadian employment law is, in many ways, far more employee favorable than U.S. employment law. With the exception of a few states, employment in the United States is “at-will.” This generally means that either the employer or the employee may terminate the employment relationship without cause and without notice, so long as the reason for...

Reductions in Force and the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act

It is generally a good idea for companies not to disclose biographical information about their employees, such as marital status, religion, or age. Good HR professionals counsel managers not to ask for such information during interviews, for example, in order to avoid claims of discrimination in hiring. Under U.S. law, however, there is an important...

What “At-Will” Employment Means for Canadian Companies with U.S. Employees

One of the biggest differences between employment in Canada and employment in the United States is the fact that, with the exception of a few jurisdictions, employment in the United States is “at will.”  While in Canada employees who are terminated without cause often must be paid severance, in the absence of a contract requiring...