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One of the most important workforce distinctions that employers must make is between employees and independent contractors. Per the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, generally speaking employees: Do not provide their own tools, materials or equipment to do their work. Are paid a fixed rate (e.g. salary) that is not […]

Employers could be Liable for Negative References   Nobody knows exactly when checking references became a staple crop on the human resource landscape. Perhaps a time machine would reveal that our prehistoric cave-dwelling ancestors did some background work to ensure that the Columbian Mammoth hunter they were recruiting ticked all […]

How a Bad Hire Can Trigger Constructive Dismissal   Organizations that hire a new employee who has a negative history with a current employee, may find themselves on the wrong end of a constructive dismissal lawsuit and forced to deal with lasting reputation damage. Just ask Thunder Bay-based Tbaytel.   […]

PIVOTAL wants to ensure all employers understand their obligations and that all employees know their rights. The Ministry of Labour has revised the Employment Standards Poster entitled “Employment Standards in Ontario”. The poster describes important rights and requirements under the Employment Standards Act, 2000. Please download, print and post it […]

Effective Talent Management is one of the last sustainable competitive advantages for small and midsize businesses.  Developing an effective candidate generation and assessment plan is one of the most important steps to ensure business profitability and sustainability. To win the war for talent, you should be able to identify what […]

We take questions from both employers and employees. If you have a question, let us know below. In the meantime, take a look at this week’s question: I’m a long term employee contemplating leaving my employer and going to the competition. When I provide my 2 weeks notice my employer […]

We take questions from both employers and employees. If you have a question, let us know below. In the meantime, take a look at this week’s question: I received complaints about an employee’s body odour. How would I address this issue with the guilty party? Being around anyone with body […]

We take questions from both employers and employees. If you have a question, let us know below. In the meantime, take a look at this week’s question: Can my manager alter a written warning after I signed the document without my consent? My warning has two boxes on it. 1 […]

We take questions from both employers and employees. If you have a question, let us know below. In the meantime, take a look at another very common question we hear: Can my boss come into work on my night shift and ask me to leave work? Your boss can ask […]