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Anyone Can be a Target: Dealing with Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

What do you think about when you hear the term sexual harassment? Sexual harassment in employment is often believed to involve unwanted comments, contact or attention towards females by male perpetrators. Sexual harassment may be thought of in this way as a result of statistics that have shown there to be more reports of sexual harassment in the workplace by females (approximately 43%) than males (approximately 12%). This idea of sexual harassment is a big misconception. Liz Bernier shares in the September 7, 2015 edition of the Canadian HR Reporter that reports of sexual harassment against men have been increasing in recent years. Men have always been targets of sexual harassment in the workplace but have failed to report cases in fear of being ridiculed for their perceived lack of masculinity. This has been most prevalent in male dominated workplaces. Bernier reports that while females are typically harassed by males because of their sexuality, males are harassed more often by other males who are attempting to “police” gender norms.

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Risky Business: How to keep the Bedroom out of the Boardroom

The line between personal and professional lives has gotten blurry. With increased social media usage in the workplace (read more about that on our blog here), and business communications now accessed by smartphones around the clock, it has become harder and harder to keep the two worlds separate. Yet when it comes to relationships in the workplace, the lines between personal and professional need to remain clear. Office romances may have become more common and less taboo than they once were, but the risks are ever-present. Attitudes on workplace romances are changing and evolving. According to latest numbers from both Canadian and US sources, between 40 to 50 percent of workers have dated a co-worker, with almost a third of those individuals admitting they have done so more than once. Yet it is important to understand the risks of engaging in such conduct, as office relationships that end badly can spiral far beyond the parties involved.

In the spirit of the holiday, we wanted to take a closer look at office romance, and how you can protect your business from getting too deep into the mix. It may be Valentine’s Day and love is in the air…but should it really be in the air around the photocopier?

Roberts' Rules: What can Leslie Roberts teach us about conflicts of interest and restrictive covenants?

The Toronto Star investigative reporting team has been keeping busy. First, they unearthed the drug scandals of former mayor Rob Ford. Next came the unleashing of the Jian Ghomeshi scandal, which was based largely on months of tracking the radio personality. The Star’s investigation has since led to Ghomeshi’s termination, several suspensions by his employers at the CBC, and most recently criminal charges (read more about that on our blog here).

A Promise to Behave: What the Supreme Court Now Says About the 'Duty of Good Faith'

We all live our lives bound by a series of contracts. Whether we buy a house, a car, get married, buy something, sell something, there’s usually some sort of contractual relationship at the forefront. It seems only natural, if not idealistic, that two parties entering into a contract would treat each other honestly, and deal in good faith. Yet until last month, only a few types of contracts actually required good faith and honesty from the parties.

Now, in a new decision from the Supreme Court called Bhasin v Hrynew

, the Court ruled that all contracts have an implied duty of good faith, and a duty to act honestly. The decision not only clarifies contract law going forward, but could also have a tremendous impact on any contractual relationships in the future.

Cough Cough: Stick Out Your Sick Leave Policies and Say “Ahhh”

Winter is here. The leaves have fallen, snow has arrived, and the office soundtrack is in full symphony with the sounds of coughing, sneezing, and trips to the supply room to grab another box of Kleenex. That’s right – cold and flu season is back, which means it’s a perfect time to talk about sick leave policies.

No one likes to think about getting sick. Working with a cold, or even the flu, can be an unpleasant reality when deadlines are looming and the work must be done. Yet from an HR perspective, having solid sick leave policies can be crucial to maintaining business-as-usual during that pesky cold and flu season. To maintain a healthy workplace, it is important to understand the law behind sick leave policies, when an employee should obtain a doctor’s note, and how employers can help improve the process.

Ideal Waste of Time: Social Media and its Seismic Shift in the Workplace

Employees use social media at work. It is not uncommon for most employees to have a cell phone at their desk that flashes with the occasional instant message, or a quick glance at one’s Facebook page after sending an e-mail. For the most part, this is harmless conduct, except for some small amounts of wasted time. But what about when social media usage at work is not so innocent?

Closing the New Gender Gap: Assessing Issues of Gender Identity in the Workplace

Last fall, a 10-year-old Vancouver girl and her family made headlines for her fight to get her birth certificate amended. It was not for any name or address change though; Harriette Cunningham has transitioned from a boy to a girl and wants her government-issued paperwork to reflect this. Other stories have come forward of individuals fighting government bureaucracy to have their passport sex changed, or other amendments that reflect their changed gender identity.

Think Before You Ink: Tattoos, Piercings, and Why They’re a Hot Topic in the Workplace

K endra Behringer must have a difficult time at airport security. The Edmonton woman has 22 piercings above her neck – including 7 facial piercings and 15 earrings. Ms. Behringer says she gets a lot of dirty looks, and undoubtedly a few quizzical ones. But some of the most bothersome ones have come from employers. Behringer told the Edmonton Journal recently that one retail manager “didn’t even look at my resume, he just looked at my face” and promptly threw out her resume right in front of her.

Who Says You Can’t Go Home? LeBron James’ Epic Return to Cleveland

LeBron James’ announcement last week that he was going home to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers instantly became a moment in sports history. It was only four years ago that ‘King’ James, the NBA superstar and Akron, Ohio native, disappointed his hometown when he announced he was “taking (his) talents to South Beach” to play for the Miami Heat. Yet his announced return has been a boon to both his hometown and the league, which raises an interesting question: when is it acceptable for an employee to return back to their old workplace?

What You Need to Know Before the Summer Office Party!!

Summer is usually the perfect time to celebrate with your workplace team. The weather is beautiful, the workload may be lighter, and people are usually relaxed and easygoing. Your team may be planning a cottage retreat, taking i n a sporting event, or even just enjoying a night on the town.

All of these can be excellent ideas that make you team stronger and more cohesive. Spending time together with colleagues outside of work can be a great way to connect with co-workers you don’t get to see everyday, and strengthen relationships that are not strictly based on business.

Report Cards for the Working World: Getting Ready for Mid-Year Reviews

June is not just report card time for students and teachers. It’s also the time for mid-year reviews, which have become an effective way to take the pulse of your workplace, and determine how you and your team are going to achieve even greater success in the second half of the year.

Here are a few tips to make mid-year reviews run smoothly and effectively for both you and your team.

1. Take a look backwards– Reviews are a time to revisit previous reviews and conversations, and determine the current status of goals that had been previously set. The conversation becomes far more productive with specific goals and tasks to address and an analysis of visible and tangible results.

Olympic Inspirations

What an incredible Olympic games it has been for team Canada who brought home a total of 25 medals. Setting records and making history, these Canadian athletes truly made all of Canada proud. In particular, the women’s hockey team as they provided one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments with their exhilarating comeback to beat the Americans for the gold. However, it wasn’t all about the medals, there were many other memorable moments including Canadian cross-country ski coach, Justin Wadsorth who ran out to Russian skier Anton Gafarov to replace his broken ski so he can finish the race. All these great moments are what make the Olympics so special and electrifying to watch. More importantly, these athletes are great role models that many people and organizations can learn from. Here are the top 3 valuable lessons learned from Olympic athletes that you should implement in your organization.

1. Team Work Produces Results

Very evident throughout the Olympics is the importance and power of teamwork. Working as a team is necessary in achieving success in sports as much as it is in any organization. When people in an organization work together cohesively better results are achieved. Amazing teamwork was demonstrated through the Canadian women’s hockey team as they dug deep and persevered to comeback from a two goal deficit to win the gold medal hockey game. Canadian speed skater Gilmore Junio was the ultimate team player when he voluntarily gave up his spot in the 1,000-meter final to teammate Denny Morrison who he believed would have a better chance of winning a medal. Ensure your organization is setup for success by making sure you cultivate a teamwork mentality where all employees are supportive of each other and focused on the organization’s goals and objectives.