Canadian HR Reporter

June 2021 CAN

Canadian HR Reporter is the national journal of human resource management. It features the latest workplace news, HR best practices, employment law commentary and tools and tips for employers to get the most out of their workforce.

Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/1375114

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STRICTLY speaking, from a legal perspec- tive, there isn't really much of a difference with the COVID-19 pandemic and most workplace safety considerations — employers have an obligation to take all reason- able precautions to protect employees from the hazards, says James Jennings, an associate at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti in Toronto. "But, practically speaking, the hazards posed by COVID-19 are on a whole other scale," he says. "Normally, workplace hazards are something that arise from the conduct of business itself, such as moving machinery parts or someone leaves a bucket on the floor… whereas COVID, on the other hand, is brought in from outside." Most employers take health and safety very seriously, "but this is a dramatically different situation," says Natalie Fisher, a lawyer at Sherrard Kuzz in Toronto. Not only does COVID have an immediate impact on the health of employees, their families and customers, it "can also jeopardize an employ- er's ability to continue operating," she says. The situation is almost unprecedented when you think about the safety requirements and WWW.HRREPORTER.COM ISSUE 34.05.2021 THE NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Understanding 'Zoom fatigue' Stanford University researchers have several explanations for what's behind the fatigue — and possible fixes /8 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE… SILOED AT HOME While many employees are enjoying the benefits of working from home, feelings of isolation and stress might actually be rising /14 FIRED AFTER COMPLAINT A B.C. salesperson is dismissed after she makes a harassment complaint against her boss — but goes on to win $24,000 in damages /29 BAD FAITH TERMINATION What types of employer conduct could breach the duty to act with good faith around termination and increase liability for damages? /30 > pg. 2 In a year chock full of uncertainty, employers have had to quickly enact and enforce new safety policies. But a look at recent legal decisions around masking, employee privacy and compensation suggests their efforts are paying off, writes Sarah Dobson Are women losing out? While employers claim to be focused on diversity and inclusion, is women's advancement less of a priority? /12 Focus on COVID safety pays off for employers HR TECH CASE STUDIES A look at several employers focused on streamlining their HR processes /18

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