Law briefs (June 19, 2000)

EMPLOYERS TURNING TO ADR
Toronto — To save resources and solve problems quickly, employers are building in-house dispute resolution systems, says Anne Grant, a professional mediator in Toronto, in The Lawyers Weekly. In-house DR can include investigation, mediation and the use of an ombudsman. One caveat: whether you use in-house or outside lawyers to help set up programs or pre-screen, they may be viewed as biased by employees, she added.

MEN LIE MORE
Toronto — A study of Canadian employees finds men are virtually three times more likely than women to lie on their resume about being dismissed, personality conflicts, false degrees or diplomas and attendance and punctuality. Infocheck Ltd., a Toronto-based background checking firm, said HR professionals may need to dig a bit deeper when it comes to verifying the qualifications of male job candidates.

BANKING ON VACATION
Vancouver — A recent British Columbia Supreme Court decision in MacDonald vs. Wajax Industries Limited reviewed the enforceability of a company’s “no banking of vacation” policy and found against it, because the policy had not been consistently followed.

COSTLY SNEEZE
Philadelphia, PA — A director of a computer centre at the University of Pennsylvania won workers’ compensation benefits for holding back a sneeze, the force of which detached the retina in his left eye. Russell Carroll lost his eye. The court ruled that because he suppressed the sneeze in the course of his duties, he was furthering the university’s business interests when he sustained injury.

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