Canada: Punching A Co-Worker Does Not Amount To Just Cause For Dismissal, Court Rules

Can your employee punch a co-worker in the face and avoid termination for just cause? The answer is yes, depending on how you handle the situation.

A recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice again raises the question of whether employers can effectively balance their duty to provide a safe workplace free from violence with the common law principles of proportionate discipline. In the Nov. 17, 2014 decision in Phanlouvong v. Northfield Metal […]

By | December 23rd, 2014 ||

United States: NLRB Rules That Employees Have A Right To Use Employers’ Email Systems For Non-Business Purposes

In a 3-2 decision issued on December 11, 2014, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) held in Purple Communications Inc. that, in most circumstances, employees have a right to use employer email systems for non-business purposes during non-working time. This decision reversed the NLRB’s 2007 decision in Register Guard, in which it found that employers could limit employee use of email systems to “business purposes only” and that employers could “specifically prohibit” certain email […]

By | December 23rd, 2014 ||

UK: New 2 Year Limit On Claims For Backdated Pay

From 1 July 2015, claims for backdated pay, including holiday pay, will be limited to a maximum of 2 years under legislation introduced last week. The Government says the legislation is intended to reduce potential costs to employers and give certainty to workers on their rights on holiday pay.

The new 2 year limit is a reaction to an Employment Appeal Tribunal decision last month that pay for certain statutory minimum annual holiday should include non-guaranteed […]

By | December 22nd, 2014 ||