You had to let Pam go last Fall. Her performance had been slipping, and you had continually tried to coach her, but you could tell that she had just lost interest in the role. Her lack of focus meant that things weren’t getting done, and she was not coachable. You presented what you thought was a reasonable package. Pam was quiet in the termination meeting, but days later, you received a letter from her lawyer demanding significantly more money. You turned it over to your lawyer and helped them prepare your response. Her allegations that you had not supported her at work were...

Employment law changed in fundamental ways in 2024, and you may not even have noticed. The fundamental principles of employment law rarely seem to change much. Employers are responsible for keeping employees safe, and for treating them fairly. If you fire an employee without notice, you’ll likely owe them money. Discrimination at work is illegal and may lead to an issue with the human rights tribunal. Employers may not understand every nuance, but they generally have a good idea of how things work. The basic principles may stay consistent, but the fine details change regularly, and...

Let’s start with an example. Suppose Mrs. Johnson next door hires you to help her paint her fence. She asks if you are available, you tell her a quote and how long you think it will take, and she agrees. You purchase the paint, the brushes, the drop cloths, and everything else that you’ll need. She doesn’t mind when you come to work, so long as the job gets done. Moreover, Mrs. Johnson does not really care how you do the job. If you want to buy an expensive piece of machinery to get the work done quickly? You can do that! If you want to subcontract 3 buddies to make the work go...

As we look towards the start of the New Year, most employees’ minds are turning to one thing and one thing only. Unfortunately for you, it’s not the company’s Q1 strategy, or the plans for growth in the coming months.  In their minds, it’s bonus time.  While companies at one time were known for giving employees a small token holiday bonus, for most employers today the bonus has become an integral part of compensation. Most are awarded in the first few months of the new year and are based upon a combination of the employee’s performance, and the company’s performance, in the...

A new year inevitably brings new opportunities. Businesses grow, strategic plans are implemented, and prospects are hopefully converting to clients and customers. You’ve set out goals for 2025, and now you’re firmly putting the plans in place to reach those goals. Unfortunately, the reality as an employer is that it’s often the things that you miss that can become your unexpected expenses. You may think that you still have all of your employment law pieces sorted out from when you started the business. Much like your business, though, the law also grows and changes over time. The...