Employment solicitors can be of greathelp in employment related issues, such as:
Employer-employee conflict
Recruitment policy formulation
Employmentlawcovers all areas of an employer-employee relationship,with the exception of the negotiation process mentioned in the labourlaw. Therefore, employment lawyers can assist both the opposingparties in conflicts relating to:
Employee discrimination
Unfair termination of employment
Workers compensation
Harassment
Wages and work condition claims
Redundancy
Workplace injury
EmploymentSolicitors: Services Offered
The following are some essentialservices performed by good employment solicitors before providingemployment law advice:
Check the employmentpractices of the organization The solicitor willfirst look through the personnel records and review the recruitmentprocedure. S/he will then weed out weaknesses, if any, and suggestways of resolving problem areas.
Offer regular meetings Regular employment meetings are a part of the employment lawadvisory scheme offered by law firms. Solicitors will meet the HRdepartment, managerial team and other important members of theorganization on a regular basis. The purpose behind the meetings isto judge the terms of employment, disciplinary procedures,absenteeism, equal opportunities and similar employment requisites.
Provide an employmentmanual An employment manual is a source of referencefor maintaining good employment practices. The manual should includeinformation on fair recruitment procedures, guidelines on draftingemployment contracts and aspects of effective HR practices.
Provide a risk managementreport Employment solicitors will provide acomprehensive risk management report, after reviewing your companyscurrent policies, practices and adherence to legislation. This reportshould include plans for improvement that would reduce the risk ofdisputes between the organizational head/s and staff members.
Provide insurance cover An insurance cover proves useful in case an employee files a caseagainst your company. It will cover the legal expenses of defendingemployment disputes up to a limit of 100,000 per claim. Sometimesit also covers compensation awards and out-of-court settlements.
While looking for employmentsolicitors, ensure that you receive employment advice that is worththe money you spend. You must look for reasonably priced lawyers,rather than looking for the cheapest option. Lower rates might entailinexperienced solicitors who would lack the practical knowledge andabilities of an experienced lawyer.
For employment solicitors who providecomprehensive and accurate advice on employment-related issues atreasonable rates, visit www.rosendorff.com.au.Rosendorff Lawyers have some of the best solicitors in the nation.
Chinese officials have said that their country’s exports surged last December to edge out Germany as the world’s biggest exporter.
The official Xinhua news agency reported today that figures from the General Administration for Customs showed that exports jumped 17.7% in December from a year earlier. Over the whole of 2009 total Chinese exports reached US$1.2 trillion, above Germany’s forecast $1.17 trillion.
Huang Guohua, a statistics official with the customs administration, said the December exports rebound was an important turning point for China’s export sector. He commented that the jump was an indication that exporters have emerged from their downslide.
“We can say that China’s export enterprises have completely emerged from their all-time low in exports,” he said.
However, although China overtook Germany in exports, China’s total foreign trade — both exports and imports — fell 13.9% last year.
Andrew McAvoy is running for the Green Party of Ontario in the Ontario provincial election, in the Windsor-Tecumseh riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.
Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.
As you can quite imagine the rapid advancement of technology has certainly opened up a lot of new opportunities for people wherever they may be in the world. As a great example of the growth of the internet and the world wide web we see many top American colleges and universities opening up their courses to American as well as foreign students who wish to study online. Today, many of these colleges and universities are offering accredited online college degree courses to students located in all corners of the world as far away as Asia and Australia.
It is not just a simple matter of signing up for these courses. Students are required to go through the usual application and student selection processes so as to be eligible to enroll in their accredited online college degree courses. Nevertheless, the fact that a student (no matter where they live) can study in the comfort of his or her home is already a huge advantage and draw card for many Universities offering highly respected and in-demand courses. This ‘online’ option is possibly the only one available for many students who are unable to fund the cost of relocating to the United States from abroad so they can study at a particular College or University.
If you are accepted into an accredited online college degree at an American College or University then you may be eligible to apply for study grants and other financial assistance. Just because you are studying online does not mean that you are not considered to be a legitimate student of the College or University and accordingly you should investigate to determine what study grants and student financial assistance is available to you. As most colleges and universities have an ‘online application’ process for student grants and financial assistance you do not need to attend the campus to apply for support under these student assistance programs.
If you are enrolled in an accredited online college degree program the amount of financial assistance that you might be entitled to may differ from the assistance given to students who are studying on campus. In most situations an online student may only get a small fraction of the financial assistance that is given to students who are studying on campus.
The principal reason behind the reduced the amount of assistance that you can obtain as an online student is that as you are not living and studying on campus, and as a result you are likely to incur lesser costs and expenses compared to those students that are participating on campus.
Notwithstanding this differential in study grants and related financial support, the good news is that you would still be entitled to participate in any student loan program and would enjoy the same rate of interest and payment schemes as those students who are living and studying on campus. So if you are interested in an accredited online college degree offered by one of America’s most prestigious Colleges or Universities why not go online and apply for a position now.
About the Author: For further details about accredited online college degrees, online Universities and distance learning visit Online College Degree Resource.
The FBI is investigating 26 firms and 1,400 individuals involved in the US financial crisis for fraud and “sub-prime lending practices”. Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae and AIG are among the firms being scrutinized after recently receiving federal bailouts.
Investigators, who are cooperating with the IRS, Postal Office, and other federal offices to complete their investigation, are concerned that major corporations may have also forced or bribed ratings agencies to favor them.
The probe, which is in early stages, began eight months ago when the FBI began taking a close look at the mortgage industry and widespread irresponsible loaning practices. At least one corporation has been raided, but so far no evidence of fraud has been found.
The FBI has questioned executives of each of the firms closely, and arrested two in June. An anonymous source told The Times that the firms had been ordered to “hold all papers and e-mails under lock and key” as the FBI scours the finances of each firm.
Many of the companies and individuals being investigated are at the center of the nationwide financial crisis and controversial bailout plans, and have been widely blamed for the country’s financial crisis. The investigation has come at a time when the eyes of many in the US and around the world are turned towards the financial markets, as Congress and politicians scramble to fix the crisis while the election date looms closer.
Officials told CNN that it would be a long time before the investigations were finished, adding a warning: “Don’t expect indictments tomorrow or next week or next month”.
England did win this October 13, 2007 match versus Estonia, 3-0 at Wembley Stadium. Image: johnthescone.
Steve McClaren and his deputy Terry Venables have both been sacked by the English Football Association after a unanimous decision by board members during an emergency meeting held earlier today.
The decision was announced by the FA chief executive Brian Barwick in a press conference held this morning after widespread speculation due to the poor performance of the English national team which last night failed to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2008 competition. The cost of removing him from his post is thought to cost £2.6 million.
According to a study by the Centre for Economic and Business Research, missing out on Euro 2008 could cost the British economy as much as £1 billion.
The recruiting process has already started to find the next manager for the team, only 18 months after 46-year-old McClaren was given the role. During the press conference the FA admitted that not qualifying for the competition was “embarrassing”.
The contaminated pet food that was recalled after it was found to contain a harmful industrial chemical called melamine, has been used as pig feed at a hog farm in Ceres, California, located in the United States.
At least seven urine samples taken from pigs at the American Hog Farm, were tested and the results came back positive for the chemical melamine. At least three samples from the feed used to feed the pigs were tested and those results also came back positive for melamine.
Reports say that at least 100 pigs from the farm were slaughtered and sold from the “custom slaughterhouse” that is operated on the farms site. The meat is then sold to different places as “individual orders” and is not sold commercially for supermarkets. The affected meat goes as far back as April 3 and the company is asking anyone who bought it to return the product or throw it out.
Despite the sale, California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer says that no evidence has turned up to suggest that the meat that was sold entered the human consumption chain.
“There is no evidence that any products from this farm have entered the food supply. The risk to people right now is minimal,” said Breitmeyer who also said that pet food from bags or boxes that have been torn or ripped, is sometimes reused as feed for small farms.
California’s Department of Food and Agriculture investigated the company and found that it had received the contaminated pet food from Diamond Pet Foods, which supplies retailers with the pet food Natural Balance, one of the over 100 recalled brands of pet food. Authorities then quarantined the farm to further investigate the situation.
At least 1,500 pigs are on the farm.
As of the moment, no other farms are being investigated, but officials say that other farms may also be affected.
“In the course of our investigation, we may find similar situations in other parts of the country,” said head of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Sundlof.
The FDA is continuing to investigate and Sundlof says that there is a possibility that the contamination of the pet food may be intentional.
“It would certainly lend credibility to the theory that it may be intentional. That will be one of the theories we will pursue when we get into the plants in China,” said Sundlof.
Last month, Menu Foods was the first to recall all of its 60 million products of dry and wet dog and cat food after pets began to fall ill and in some cases died of kidney failure. The FDA found melamine in samples of Menu Foods pet food and in samples of wheat gluten, imported from China, which was used as an ingredient.
Choosing engineered birch hardwood flooring is a good decision if you are in the search of the best material, design, and pattern for your flooring that you can acquire at an affordable price. Engineered wood flooring is now growing in terms of popularity since it provides top-of-the-line quality at a very good price range. Engineered flooring is in itself a good choice now since it provides you with the same authenticity of real wood but without the usual consequences of hardwood which expands and shrinks when subjected to too much humidity or extreme cold.
Presenting a good number of various colours for selection, engineered birch wood flooring, engineered birch wood flooring is resilient and flexible to what kind of interior design your place requires. Depending on the species of birch used, you can opt for the light, yellowish ones or the dark, reddish wood variety. Another good thing about birch is its popularity among contractors because of the fine grain that the patterns have, not to mention the unique combination of colors from its natural stains. All these are coupled by the ability of birch to resist wear and tear once it is already being processed by the machine during the procedure of engineering wood. If strength, durability, and resiliency is what you are looking for in wood, Hardwood Bargains offers you a collection of hand-scraped engineered birch hardwood flooring made by expert craftsmen themselves.
Our team personally does the creation of planks which are tailored to the needs and preferences of our clients. Because we make only hand-scraped engineered birch wood flooring, our product is assuredly top-of-the-line in terms of quality, accuracy of details, techniques, and stains and patterns on the wood itself. If you are doing a major revamp on your flooring, engineered birch wood is a top choice that we highly recommend. Its variety of stains and colors and durability are just what your office or residential area needs. By adding engineered birch wood, you breathe life and vibrant colors into your once-dull space, making it an area that everyone just loves to be in. The birch wood patterns and stains exudes that classy aura that will make you and your guests never want to leave the room and just take in the cozy, warm feeling of the ambience. Engineered birch hardwood flooring may just be the option you are looking for.
Sofia Eva well known writer, focusses on birch wood flooring through her write-ups and also advices on installing and home improvements worktops. Know more about Hand scraped engineered birch hardwood flooringAuthor: Sofia Eva
The Finnish communications corporation Nokia announced that its Head will change on September 21. The previous chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo will continue to chair in non-executive capacity. The head of Microsoft Business division Stephen Elop will take the position. It is the first time a non-Finn becomes Nokia president and chief executive.
The change follows Nokia’s fall in world markets. It includes a decrease in Nokia’s American market share to less than ten percent after failed negotiations with a number of leading American phone providers. An analyst at a market analyst company Canalys, Pete Cunningham, said, “Despite holding 38 percent market share of the smartphone market, Nokia’s failure to compete with the iPhone and high-tier Android devices, combined with its lack of progress in gaining significant traction in the United States, has led to press and investor dissatisfaction.”
Some commenters suggested that Nokia chose Mr. Elop partly because he is a Canadian, following criticism of American candidates by the Finnish press. However a Nokia spokesman rejected this, saying, “Nationality was not a selection criteria.”
Stephen Elop was president and CEO of the graphics and web-development software house Macromedia prior to its acquisition by Adobe in 2005. He then joined Microsoft as President of Microsoft’s Business Division in January, 2008. Commenting on his new role he said, “Nokia has a unique global position as well as a great brand upon which we can build. The Nokia slogan clearly states our key mission: Connecting People, which will acquire new dimensions as we build our portfolio of products, solutions and services.”
In the announcement the Chairman of the Nokia Board of Directors Jorma Ollila stressed an expected shift of focus from hardware to software. “His [Stephen Elop’s] strong software background and proven record in change management will be valuable assets as we press harder to complete the transformation of the company. We believe that Stephen will be able to drive both innovation and efficient execution of the company strategy in order to deliver increased value to our shareholders”.
Nokia stated in an official blog post, “Nokia is transitioning from a hardware manufacturer of mobile devices to a software and solutions business. …Stephen’s background in the software industry is one of his key strengths.”
Chiara on her initial success after Eurovision ’98: “Everything came like rain in my life, from one thing to the other, and before I knew it I became Chiara of Malta. I loved it, but I didn’t have much time to think about it.”Photo: The Foto Grafer/Television Malta
The small archipelago of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea takes the Eurovision Song Contest very seriously. Leading a fight to remove a cap on the number of competing countries brought them back to the Contest in 1991 after a 16-year absence, and ever since the nation has had perfect attendance.
Since then, Malta’s dependable “shining star” has been Chiara Siracusa, who goes by her first name in her music career. First competing in 1998 at the age of 21, she was pushed to the brink of victory until the votes from the final country that evening leveled her placement to third. Her rendition of the song “The One That I Love,” and the recognition she received not only for herself, but for her country, made her a star in Malta overnight, and helped her launch a singing career in Europe.
She would later return to the Contest in 2005 with “Angel,” an anthem she penned herself, and achieved second place. Now, in 2009, she will be going back to Eurovision for a third try, hoping for the “3-2-1” charm and a victory — something that has eluded her thus far. Her entry, the ballad “What If We,” has special memories for Chiara; it is dedicated to her father, who is recently deceased.
What if Chiara could take home the gold in Moscow; for Malta, for her father, and for herself? Only time will tell. Chiara took time out of her Eurovision promotional schedule to answer some questions from Wikinews’ Mike Halterman about her past performances, and most importantly, her upcoming one.
This is the fourth in a series of interviews with past Eurovision contestants, which will be published sporadically in the lead-up to mid-May’s next contest in Moscow.
((Mike Halterman)) You’ll be going to Moscow for a third try at possibly winning Eurovision. Why did you decide to compete this year? How did your partnership with Marc Paelinck and Gregory Bilsen come about?
Chiara: Well, I met Marc Paelinck long time ago through a friend in Belgium. We started working together and it brought us to this collaboration today. I was thinking of going back to the festival [for a long time] and this year felt like the right year to do so.
((Mike Halterman)) Eurovision fans from across Europe picked you as the wide favorite to win Malta’s preselection this year. Were you as confident? Were you nervous about competing in the semi-final rounds this time around, or did you think this was something you could handle?
Chiara: When I go into a competition, I always go to win, but I was nervous like everyone else…I think [when] you win a festival, [you win] for what you present, not for what your history is.
((Mike Halterman)) Growing up, did you always want to become a singer? Who were your musical influences, and what genres do you think are your favorite? Do you think these preferences have molded you into the singer you are today?
Chiara: Definitely. My mum always says I used to sing and dance for them all the time since I was a baby, and I’ve always loved ballads. In fact, my favourite singer has always been Whitney Houston.
((Mike Halterman)) How did you come to the decision to enter the Eurovision pre-selection for Malta back in 1998? What kinds of feelings did you experience during the path you took to eventual victory in the national final?
Chiara: 1998 was my first time in the festival. I was very young and I felt I could never win it. I wanted just to try and be there with the big names of those times. It was very scary and overwhelming, [and] then I won.
((Mike Halterman)) Did you feel overwhelmed performing in front of an international audience in Birmingham? What kind of personal feelings and emotions made you relate to the song you sang, “The One That I Love”? There were remarks afterwards that your performance was great, but your dress had similarities to Barbara Dex’s from five years before (and she has become well-known for her “fashion don’t”). Looking back on it, what did you think of that dress?
Chiara: Well…looking back I remember that I was completely overwhelmed [singing] in front of so many people. I was very scared but managed to do well. As for the dress, they were different times [back then] and it was beyond my control.
((Mike Halterman)) You came very close to winning the Contest for Malta back in 1998. When you didn’t, how did it make you feel? Did you feel “robbed”? As an addenda, some Wikipedians I’ve talked to have hypothesized that tabloid hype before the event helped Dana International win; in other words, she would not have won had she not been a transsexual. Do you feel that’s true, and did you like her song?
Chiara: I know a lot of Maltese who voted for Dana because they liked the song and for no other reason. The song was good and we still hear it today.
Obviously when you are so close to winning something and you don’t, yes, you feel a bit robbed, but [then there’s] the moment [when] you realise you did well and you are happy.
((Mike Halterman)) After Eurovision, you made a transformation from an unknown singing hopeful to a true recording artist. Tell us a bit about your transformation, and how you felt during this time. Also, around this time you started to perform in concerts and festivals abroad. What was your best memory from this time, when you were performing abroad and people from outside Malta not only knew who you were, but were interested in your life and music.
Chiara: Everything came like rain in my life, from one thing to the other, and before I knew it I became “Chiara of Malta.” I loved it, but I didn’t have much time to think about it. It came quickly; I went to a lot of places and sang with many people but I think what I will always remember is the concert I did with my band, where Seal was as well in the same event, in Frankfurt. It was incredible.
((Mike Halterman)) In 2005, you entered the Contest again, this time with a song you wrote yourself. What is the meaning behind “Angel,” and what kind of story do the lyrics tell about your own life and experiences?
Chiara: “Angel” is a love song and it will always have a special place in my heart. It’s about the love you give someone without wanting anything back, and the unlimited support too.
((Mike Halterman)) You achieved the best placing for Malta in Eurovision history with your performance in 2005. What did you learn from your experiences in 1998 and, in your mind, how did you improve to become more successful in 2005?
Chiara: I think it’s the maturity and the experience. [Through] the years, without knowing, you [gather] so many lessons and behave better and take things a bit more serious and so on.
((Mike Halterman)) Surely you’ve read not only supportive comments, but negative ones as well, particularly concerning your weight. At the same time, however, you have become a role model of sorts for fuller-figured women across Europe, who aren’t accustomed to seeing “people like them” at Eurovision. How did you deal with the negativity, both in the context of the Contest and in your personal life, and what message do you hope to give to full-figured women who look to you for inspiration?
Chiara: Well, I have always been “full figured,” as you put it. I have spent time in my life trying to become as thin as I could, but I could never make it. Through the years I have learnt to accept myself and love me for what I am and how I look. I feel I have nothing less than others and my advice is to be happy with yourself, and love yourself, because you can never get someone to love you if you yourself don’t.
((Mike Halterman)) Tell us about the emotions you convey in the song “What If We.” Every song has a story, so what is the story played out in this song?
Chiara: The story for me with this song is completely about my father. He was the one to contact Marc [Paelinck] and he was the machine behind Eurovision for me, so he’s entirely what this song is about for me and being that he passed away three months ago, well, it makes the song very special when I sing it.
((Mike Halterman)) If you had to absolutely pick one song, which of the three songs you’ve submitted is your favorite, and why?
Chiara: The three songs [each] have a story of [their own]. “The One That I Love” gave me my whole career, my fame and everything I am today so i can never forget it; “Angel” is too special because it’s like my baby, I wrote it myself; and “What If We” is very deep in my heart because of my dad, so I can never choose between them. Sorry!
((Mike Halterman)) What are your plans for after the Contest? What kinds of projects would you like to pursue? Have you considered launching a singing career in the United States?
Chiara: My immediate project after the festival is an album which I have already started working on, in my style [which] is completely ballads, then wherever that takes me I’ll go, [whether it be] the U.S. or elsewhere.
((Mike Halterman)) Finally, what would you like to tell all of your fans, awaiting your performance this May in Moscow?
Chiara: I would like to thank them for the ongoing support they have always showed me, and promise them I will give them my all on the performance night in Moscow.
