Description: In an important decision, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of Wal-Mart workers in Quebec. In 2004, workers at the Wal-Mart store in Jonquière, Quebec, formed a union. Just before the first arbitration was to be carried out, Wal-Mart decided to close down the store, putting all the 190 people out of… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Human Resource Management
Google worried about its workforce diversity
Description: Google, one of the best companies to work for worldwide, feels it’s still way behind in representing a diverse workforce. It is planning several initiatives to improve its workforce diversity. Source: CBC Date: May 29, 2014 Video Link:http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/ID/2460763635/ Questions for Discussion: What are your views about Google’s current workforce composition? Is the problem due… Read more »
Companies to be penalized strongly for abusing temporary foreign worker program
Description: The Canadian federal government plans to come down strongly on companies that abuse the foreign worker program. As of December 2012, estimates indicate that were 340,000 foreign workers in Canada—an increase of 100% over the 2005 numbers. Source: Huffington Post Date: March 28, 2014 Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/28/temporary-foreign-worker-fines_n_5049295.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-business Questions for Discussion: Why do companies hire such… Read more »
Ontario minimum wage increases to $11.
Description: The minimum wage in Ontario is increased to $11 per hour. This means that Ontario along with Nunavut have the highest minimum wages in Canada. Source: CBC Date: Jan 30, 2014 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/ID/2433960206/ Questions for Discussion: What are the different views from the workers and the employers? What are the benefits and drawback of… Read more »
Women corporate leaders say they’re overworked and underpaid
Description: A recent survey by a human resource consultant firm, Randstad Canada, found that women corporate leaders in Canada are overworked and underpaid in comparison to their male counterparts. Another surprising finding was that a large percentage of women employees felt that having a women boss can hurt them. Source: CBC Date: Jan 2,… Read more »
JPMorgan fined $1.7 billion
Description: The U.S. government seems to be coming hard on Wall Street. In a recent judgment, the U.S. justice fined JPMorgan $1.7 billion for failing to inform the authorities over Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. Source: CBC Date: Jan 10, 2014 Video Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/ID/2429428298/ Questions for Discussion: Should JPMorgan be held responsible and fined… Read more »
MBA grads choosing non-corporate sectors
Description: According to a recent report compiled by Catalyst, 11% of Canadian high profile employees (those with an MBA) are beginning their career in the non-corporate sector; that is jobs in the public sector and non-profit organizations. This percentage is substantially higher for Canada than those for the U.S. (4%), Asia (3%) and Europe (5%)…. Read more »
Gender gap is bad for business
Description: A recent study at University of British Columbia found that companies that had women on their board were better deal makers: they paid significantly less premiums for target firms and were more cautious when acquiring firms. Despite several similar studies over the years confirming that higher gender diversity on corporate boards lead to better… Read more »
Is there actually a skill shortage in Canada?
Description: There are conflicting reports on whether Canada faces a skill shortage. While the Canadian government insists that there is severe shortage of skilled people in Canada, a recent TD report rebuffs that claim. Source: CBC Date: Oct. 22, 2013 Video Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/ID/2413451599/?page=2 Questions for Discussion: Do you agree with the government or the TD… Read more »
Is there value in pursuing post-secondary education?
Description: Canadian universities are seeing record enrolments but fees are getting more expensive. There’s been an ongoing debate on whether there’s value is paying such high fees for post-secondary education. Source: CBC Date: Oct. 08, 2013 Video Link: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/ID/2411181426/?page=2 Questions for Discussion: What are the benefits and drawbacks of pursuing post-secondary education? What are the… Read more »
