'Tis the season to be sued: Law firm Ogilvy Renault LLP notes that as holiday cheer begins to flow, employers face a number of legal risks that can be contained with some extra planning.

- Be inclusive. Human rights legislation guides employers to keep religion out of the workplace. Whether it's calling a holiday festivity a Christmas party or requiring employees to decorate for holidays that don't coincide with their religious beliefs, "employers need to be sensitive to the diverse backgrounds and beliefs in their workplaces."

- Be a responsible host. Employers who allow inebriated employees to drive home have been held liable for resulting injuries. Just offering taxi chits may not be enough: an employer has been held liable for injuries incurred by an employee after she left a second venue following the work-sponsored holiday party.

- Be aware. A kiss under the mistletoe could be part of an ongoing problem of sexual harassment, and liability for sexual harassment doesn't stop at the office door. After-work celebrations should be regarded as work-related events by all involved.

IOU Robot: To some people $7,500 is not a lot of money, but to penurious graduate students hoping to create robots, it could be the difference between remaining in Canada and joining the brain drain.

Precarn Inc., a non-profit consortium of corporations, research institutes and governments supporting work on robotics and artificial intelligence, has awarded $540,000 to 72 graduate students across Canada.

The organization set up in 1990 to protect Canadians from the failure of life insurance companies will henceforth be known as Assuris. Along with the name change, Assuris gets a new logo and motto: "Protecting your life insurance."

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