BCjobs Blog

I suspect that most employers struggle, occasionally, with the question of whether an employee has resigned from employment. I know that I am often called on to provide advice on this subject.

Perhaps the best weapon in an employer’s arsenal to screen applicants is the probation period. In my experience, it is also one of the least used and least understood.

How much notice do employees legally need before you can lay them off? Although many people think two weeks is the legal standard, Canadian common law for employment outlines termination notice in detail.

Table of Contents The Process Canadian Employers Existing Work Permit Holders ITA Draws Effective January 1, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) introduced a new skilled immigrant intake system—Express Entry (EE). Originally called Expression of Interest, it is modelled after New Zealand’s immigration system. Though little has changed regarding the categories and criteria, what has […]

Bullying is not anything that is new to the workplace. It sometimes starts in our schoolyards and in many cases, just continues in the workplace.
The question is – and it’s a good one – what exactly is bullying?

Even with the best of intentions, we can make errors in workplace investigations that are very costly not only in directly visible ways, but also through indirect costs such as organizational reputation, employee morale and of course, turnover.

In this period of economic decline, many employers are faced with the need to restructure their workforce. Unfortunately, imposing unilateral changes upon employees raises the risk of constructive dismissal claims.

Employers commonly give department managers the authority to make employment-related decisions for their own staff. Even when a company has an in-house human resources expert, decisions with legal implications may be made at the department level.

But department managers typically will not be fully trained in employment law. So, are there some basic concepts they can learn which will give their company the prospect of avoiding legal complaints?

When employers and their former employees are trying to settle disputed issues arising out of a termination of employment, there are many monetary factors to address. Perhaps surprisingly, it isn’t always the money which is the stumbling block to reaching a settlement.
A very important aspect to any part of a settlement for a departing employee is receiving a reference letter. Often, the employee will insist on getting a reference letter and the employer will be reluctant to provide it.

The range of policies which might be contained in an employee handbook is really unlimited. There are, however, certain core policies every employer should implement.
The list starts with a harassment policy. This policy sets out the employer’s stance forbidding workplace harassment (including sexual harassment and other forms, such as bullying). It should also provide a complaint resolution process and define the range of disciplinary measures which may be imposed on the offender.