Questions tagged [canada]
Questions about the workplace that may specifically relate to cultures, customs or laws in Canada
291
questions
274
votes
17
answers
62k
views
Very bad online reputation is destroying my chances of getting a job
3 years ago there was a criminal investigation that resulted in my name being published in the news papers. Although the case went to court the charges were dropped. My online reputation was basically ...
- 941
223
votes
15
answers
35k
views
How can I move past being burnt out when working long hours?
I'm in my 30s, married with a couple of kids. I have been working at a company for the past 3 years. Last year our company bought a competitor that was having financial issues, and laid off most of ...
- 1,459
186
votes
15
answers
75k
views
How to discipline overeager engineer
I have a software engineer on my staff that has been very useful. He basically trains himself on new technologies on a weekly basis, and can memorize and apply the latest O'Reilly textbook over a ...
- 1,075
162
votes
11
answers
21k
views
Soon-to-be-ex-employer trying to force me to disclose name of new employer
I recently tendered my resignation at my current company (senior engineer; get along well with the teams, but my boss's boss promised big bonuses and raises they never delivered even when my team ...
- 801
140
votes
14
answers
30k
views
Manager strongly suggests that I do more unpaid overtime during performance review
I have started a new job about 6 months ago.
In my performance review, a couple months ago, We were both discussing my own performance, but also what I liked and disliked in the company itself. When ...
- 2,790
114
votes
13
answers
32k
views
Interns I'm training don't care and it affects my performance
I work as a software developer and I was recently given responsibility for training 5 interns. As part of their college course, they have to complete an internship for 8 months for course credit.
The ...
- 1,060
112
votes
8
answers
29k
views
Should I clock in if computer started updating?
I got in early at work today, with approval from my manager, to get a head start on some tasks. I noticed my computer is acting out and decided to restart it.
Instead of just restarting it installed ...
- 2,248
111
votes
8
answers
30k
views
I mistakenly took someone else's lunch; how should I proceed?
I've been working at my present job for 5 years now, and I maintain very good relationship with my colleagues.
Last week I accidentally took someone else's catered lunch, thinking it was left-overs.
...
- 847
90
votes
10
answers
40k
views
How to force disgruntled worker not to publicly disclose "GPL'ed code"
I'm currently the only HR worker at a medium sized engineering firm in Canada. There should normally be 2 additionally HR workers on-staff more senior than me, but one is on parental leave and the ...
- 765
81
votes
9
answers
18k
views
Handling interview with manipulative colleague from past job
At my new company, I've done well for myself, but one of the engineers from my last company (a senior one that was buddy-buddy with the CEO of Miserable Company Inc.) is applying to my current company....
- 689
81
votes
5
answers
19k
views
Employer demanding I sign additional paperwork before final pay check
I just served my 2 weeks notice to my employer, resigning from my role as a lead web designer in a small company in Eastern Canada. Most of my colleagues understand, as they themselves are planning ...
- 589
78
votes
3
answers
11k
views
How to protect junior staff from abuse by shady employer
I've been working at a startup for about 18 months now. I used to report to the key engineer for my division, but he left a couple months after I started. It's to my understanding that he worked crazy ...
- 801
75
votes
11
answers
27k
views
Mandatory unpaid lunch meeting
Context: I work in a small size (25) IT company in Canada for about 8 months. And I'm paid by hour, I punch time in a software.
At my job, they really like to do meetings during lunch time, about 2 ...
- 653
69
votes
10
answers
19k
views
Employer planning on making a change that I'm prepared to quit over. How should I tell manager?
Where I work they suddenly decided to get a finger print scanner. This would be used to clock employees in and out, and for breaks. I'm not comfortable with this mainly for a privacy reason, but also ...
- 703
69
votes
9
answers
22k
views
Is it okay if I tell my boss that I cannot read cursive?
I am working as a part-time grader.
Some students hand in their assignments handwritten. Here is the problem.
As an ESL1 speaker, I was never exposed to cursive handwriting.
Not only I can't write in ...
- 737
68
votes
4
answers
13k
views
Employer has my signature on a blank form. Is this allowed? [closed]
In the province of British Columbia, in Canada, we have many forms to get things ordered or to move along. One form I am responsible for signing and giving the yay-nay on has been copied with all the ...
- 981
66
votes
4
answers
39k
views
Refusing to travel
I have been working at my company very happily for two years now as a software developer. However, recently I have started getting requests from the company to travel to different cities. I usually ...
- 843
65
votes
10
answers
23k
views
Departing senior engineer refuses to introduce replacement to open source community/peers
We had a senior, very capable (i.e. 5x) engineer, "Gust", who has served his notice (4 weeks), and will be leaving. Our company likes to "test" people in their new roles when being ...
- 657
63
votes
10
answers
16k
views
Management does not care when product is stolen
I know this is a bit of a strange question. I am currently working in a retail store. There has been a lot of shop lifting and sometimes I blatantly see customers doing it. The first time it happened ...
- 1,694
63
votes
8
answers
10k
views
Employer telling colleagues I'm "sabotaging teams" when I resigned: how to address colleagues before I leave?
Background: I've been working a few paygrades above what I'm paid for about 15 months now, and made significant contributions for my team and my division (i.e. stepped in for a drunken manager and ...
- 667
60
votes
11
answers
47k
views
Can I quit a part time fast food job with a toxic environment without notice and forget I ever did it?
I am currently studying in university full time while working at a fast food joint part time on the weekends.
I really dislike the toxic environment in this place and am leaning strongly towards ...
- 527
60
votes
10
answers
11k
views
Why do equal opportunity employers ask about my gender and race when applying?
I am currently applying for jobs in Canada, and most of the large companies I apply to make it clear during the application process that they are equal opportunity employers. Here's an example of one ...
- 1,120
58
votes
10
answers
14k
views
What is the normal rate of turnover among developers and does it impact productivity?
Not a techie, but know that techies are found here, so am asking here. I am a relatively new generalized HR/talent obtaining person at a bank where we keep having to hire more developers and I ...
- 459
56
votes
10
answers
19k
views
Taking notes during a daily stand up?
Recently our team has decided to take part in daily stand up meetings. The team is very small (4 or 5 people including myself) everything I have read online says not to take minutes/notes at the daily ...
- 14.9k
55
votes
3
answers
11k
views
How to handle use of alcohol in an interview? [closed]
I recently went to a job interview for a senior software developer position with a small start up. The manager and several employees (it was a panel interview) entered into the room with beers, and ...
user7360
54
votes
13
answers
18k
views
Might lose job and have no income due to insulting my coworker
I was one of the first people to join an online meeting with coworkers today. Usually, most attendees are up to 10 minutes later before the actual meeting gets started. One of my senior colleagues, ...
- 549
51
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Employer demanding money back when I resigned because of "accidental pay raise"
I signed on with a large Canadian tech company about 6 years ago, and submitted my resignation (company pays well, but new management was installed about a year ago, and they're very abusive, vulgar, ...
- 331
49
votes
8
answers
16k
views
Should I ask my company to pay my internet bill if circumstances and the company strongly recommend remote work?
COVID-19, remote work is "strongly recommended" by the company I work for. I live in a place where the internet bills/plans are ridiculous. (I am not paid a competitive market salary rate if relevant.)...
- 1,678
48
votes
13
answers
10k
views
How to find motivation to keep applying to jobs after being rejected
I have had a lot of trouble getting a permanent job that uses my degree (Computer Science). I find applying for jobs unpleasant and stressful. Sometimes I spend a couple days writing a custom cover ...
- 1,904
44
votes
12
answers
191k
views
What's the politest way of writing when you have not received a reply? [duplicate]
Some counter-parties don't reply promptly, and my boss requires paper record like emailing them again e.g. after 7 business days additional to follow-up calls. My boss and I think my writing is very ...
user22656
44
votes
6
answers
9k
views
Removing gender identifications from resume
What is the general opinion on removing gender identification from a resume?
What I mean is instead of Emily Smith (not my real name) using E Smith; instead of emilysmith@domain.com using esmith@...
- 539
41
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Asked to shave facial hair after a pub discussion with team members who took offence
I work in a 75+ person office which, as far as I can tell, is culturally diverse and accommodating. A couple weeks ago my colleagues and I went out for beers and got in a discussion about the ...
- 545
40
votes
5
answers
9k
views
Is it unreasonable to demand a signed and executed contract before quitting a job and extend my agreed upon start date past then?
I have a verbal offer, but so far it has taken the company a week to generate the offer letter and I keep being told that "it is coming. HR is just slow." My problem was that I agreed to ...
- 381
38
votes
6
answers
7k
views
Company banned references, senior engineer subverting ban; should I go along with free "workaround"?
My employer (3000+ employees) is a large software engineering company. The company is actually doing well (as per our latest financial report), but is canceling and/or delaying promotions/bonuses/etc. ...
- 369
37
votes
3
answers
8k
views
Can a part-time job legally require me to work more than one shift in Ontario, Canada?
I work two jobs in Ontario, Canada: a full time job during the weekdays (45 hours minus 2.5 hours for breaks) and a part time job on Saturdays.
My part-time employer is demanding that I work one ...
- 279
35
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Abusive employer and "effective contract changes"
I am trying to navigate a really nasty scenario with my current employer, and am hoping there is a professional tactic or approach that won't require consulting with a lawyer, as I'm pretty much broke ...
- 453
34
votes
6
answers
12k
views
Underpaying employer trying to get me to extend notice period; should I just give excessive notice in hopes they'll pay severance?
Background
I've worked with my current employer (Ontario division of a large tech company) for about 5 years now. For the past 5 years, I've been in a "senior engineer" position, but for the ...
- 535
34
votes
4
answers
6k
views
I unexpectedly got a very negative annual performance review - What can I do to spot this earlier in the future?
I recently had an annual performance review in my Full Stack Developer, the first review I have gotten in about 11 months after being at the company for around a year and a half. On the self ...
- 519
29
votes
6
answers
13k
views
Boss asking for account passwords she can reset before I resign
I'm leaving a company I've been with due to the boss reneging on various promises, bonuses, etc. After declining counter-offers and other incentives, the boss started become hostile towards me, and ...
- 373
28
votes
5
answers
12k
views
If employer doesn't have physical address, what is the minimum information I should have from them?
I have a part time side job that I've been doing for a number of years. I found it through a social media group. Since being added to their roster I have been getting regular frequent work (a few ...
- 839
28
votes
7
answers
6k
views
Can my former employer sue me if I don't give them the photos I took (taking pictures was not part of my job description)?
I was hired by a company to run demos and do merchandising for their product. Managers found out that I have experience as a photographer and asked me to run a photoshoot for them with the promise ...
- 297
25
votes
5
answers
7k
views
How to ask about potential breach before signing employment agreement
I just recently accepted a job offer and was sent the official employment agreement that I need to sign. I was reviewing the document and I noticed a clause that said I may be required to make ...
- 361
24
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Is it reasonable to set up a hidden camera in one's office?
Someone I know --not me and not in my workplace-- has noticed a number of incidents of vandalism and petty theft in their office and in the offices of colleagues in nearby offices. Given that all ...
- 351
23
votes
6
answers
4k
views
I may have accidentally told two colleagues that my team lead looks like a man who attacked me
I recently signed on as an engineer with a high paying firm, and was excited to finally have (for the first time in my career) a well paying job.
I finally get to meet my new supervisor (not my boss, ...
- 255
23
votes
1
answer
14k
views
What should I do if my employer can't afford to pay me but refuses to lay me off in Ontario, Canada?
My employer has run out of money and was unable to pay me what was due on my latest regular pay date. It has been over a week and my employer has informed me that it is not known when my overdue pay (...
- 349
22
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Employee pay during jury duty
A new employee just got summoned for jury duty. My company is based in Canada and by law, I am not required to pay their salary while they are away serving on the jury. I'm wondering if anyone else ...
- 223
21
votes
11
answers
12k
views
How to get over long (5 year) unemployment rut in software development? [closed]
I graduated 2009, Bachelors of Computer Information Systems, minor in Math, in western Canada. That's all my local University offered and I rationalized the minor helped even me out against Comp Sci ...
- 243
21
votes
7
answers
7k
views
How do I earn work experience to get a job if I need a job to earn work experience? [closed]
I am a software developer with experience in the Dart programming language and the Flutter framework. My major was in Electronics Engineering at George Brown College during the COVID-19 emergency.
I ...
user139787
21
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What can a disabled employee do to avoid animosity in the office?
I'm a developer and I've got chronic pain. This frequently requires me to work from home where I take much stronger painkillers that prevent me from driving, but I am still able to get my work done. I ...
- 479
20
votes
8
answers
13k
views
Should I assume I have passed probation?
My probationary period passed three days ago, I have not been told if I passed it, and I have my evaluation early next week. Should I assume that I have passed probation?
- 209