On November 19, 2021, in Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113 v. Toronto Transit Commission and National Organized Workers Union v. Sinai Health System, 2021 ONSC 7658 (TTC/Sinai Decision), the Ontario Superior Court...more
12/1/2021
/ Arbitration ,
Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Policies ,
Grievance Process ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Rights ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Injunctive Relief ,
International Labor Laws ,
Jurisdiction ,
Ontario ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
In Scott v. Community Living Temiskaming South, 2021 ONSC 5402 (Community Living), the court dismissed an employee’s claim for wrongful dismissal from his unionized position on the ground that it lacked jurisdiction to hear...more
9/30/2021
/ Arbitration ,
Canada ,
Collective Agreements ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Jurisdiction ,
Ontario ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Unions ,
Wrongful Termination
In Kraft v. Firepower Financial Corp., 2021 ONSC 4962 (Firepower Financial), an employee brought a motion for summary judgment seeking 10 months’ salary in lieu of notice, commissions and bonuses, and holiday and vacation pay...more
In Russell v. The Brick Warehouse LP, 2021 ONSC 4822 (The Brick Warehouse), on a motion for summary judgment in a wrongful dismissal action, the court awarded $25,000 in moral/aggravated damages because the employer breached...more
7/22/2021
/ Breach of Duty ,
Canada ,
Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Notice Requirements ,
Without Prejudice Privilege ,
Wrongful Termination
Last May, the government of Ontario filed Ontario Regulation 228/20 (IDEL Regulation) under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). The Regulation provides that an employee in a non-unionized workplace who, any time during...more
5/4/2021
/ Canada ,
Common Law Claims ,
Constructive Discharge ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Layoffs ,
Ontario
On April 19, 2021, Canada released its 2021 budget. Budget provisions impacting employers include those that extend certain business support programs implemented in response to COVID-19; expand access to Employment Insurance...more
As we entered a new decade in 2020, Canada saw significant developments in labour and employment law, some of which related to COVID-19. This Insight provides an overview of 14 key 2020 developments, with links to more...more
1/8/2021
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employment Standards Act ,
False Light ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Invasion of Privacy ,
Layoffs ,
Leave of Absence ,
Relief Measures ,
Tort ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Subsidies Schemes ,
Wrongful Death
In Quach v. Mitrux Services Ltd., 2020 BCCA 25 (Quach), the British Columbia Court of Appeal overturned the trial court’s decision to award aggravated damages to an individual whose job was terminated before his employment...more
The Ontario Superior Court recently issued a decision in Sewell v. Provincial Fruit Co. Limited, 2020 ONSC 4406 (Sewell), applying the reasoning set forth in the Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) decision, Waksdale v. Swegon...more
10/7/2020
/ Canada ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Just Cause ,
Ontario ,
Termination Clauses
On May 29, 2020, the government of Ontario filed Ontario Regulation 228/20 (Regulation) under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). The Regulation amends layoff and constructive dismissal rules exclusively under the ESA,...more
Whether a wrongfully dismissed employee is entitled to damages as compensation for the value of incentives that would have vested during the reasonable notice period is frequently litigated in Canada....more
2/27/2020
/ Ambiguous ,
Bonuses ,
Canada ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Contract Drafting ,
Contract Terms ,
Damages ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Incentive Compensation ,
Incentive Stock Options ,
Ontario ,
Summary Judgment ,
Wrongful Termination
Ontario: Bill 124, for a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations, Enacted -
New Legislation Enacted -
On November 7, 2019, the Ontario government passed Bill 124, the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for...more
1/31/2020
/ Canada ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Deadlines ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Ontario ,
Public Sector ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages
Canada saw significant developments in labour and employment law in 2019. As we embark on a new decade, we will undoubtedly see the landscape in this ever-changing area of law continue to evolve....more
1/9/2020
/ Amended Legislation ,
Appeals ,
Canada ,
Employee Misconduct ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
Labour Code ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Substance Abuse ,
Tort ,
Undue Hardship
With some Canada Labour Code (CLC) amendments in Bill C-44, the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1 (Bill 44) having come into force in 2017 and earlier in 2019, some additional amendments in Bill C-44 came into force as...more
10/25/2019
/ Canada ,
Damages ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employee Definition ,
Employee Rights ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Holiday Pay ,
Incentive Compensation ,
Independent Contractors ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labour Code ,
Leave of Absence ,
Misclassification ,
Over-Time ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
Ontario: Amendments to Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act -
New Legislation Enacted -
Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018, received Royal Assent on April 3, 2019, and amended the...more
7/23/2019
/ Canada ,
Domestic Violence ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Sexual Harassment
As employment lawyers that represent management, we invariably counsel our clients that they must treat complaints of harassment in the workplace seriously, and take immediate steps to investigate them. A recent case,...more
5/28/2019
/ Canada ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Default Judgment ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Harassment ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hostile Environment ,
Internal Reporting ,
Ontario ,
Retaliation ,
Workplace Violence
Among other things, the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act, 2017 (Bill 148) significantly amended Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). Most of Bill 148’s ESA amendments came into force in 2018, with the remainder to...more
4/19/2019
/ Adoption ,
Appeals ,
Canada ,
Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Harassment ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
New Legislation ,
Parental Leave ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Same-Sex Marriage ,
Securities Fraud ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Undue Hardship ,
Whistleblowers
British Columbia Extends Family Leave Policies -
New Legislation Enacted -
On May 17, 2018, British Columbia amended legislation to give employees in the province pregnancy, parental, and compassionate care leaves. ...more
8/2/2018
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Rights ,
International Labor Laws ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Ontario ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Pay Transparency ,
Wage and Hour
The interview process is a time-consuming, planned procedure in which the parties seek to learn as much as possible about each other before determining whether it is a match. In addition to probing the candidate’s...more
3/12/2018
/ Ban the Box ,
Canada ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Ontario ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour
In a lawsuit involving both wrongful dismissal and defamation, Canada's Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Papp v. Stokes et al, 2017 ONSC 2357, has ruled that an employer’s negative review of an employee’s attitude during...more
In Canada, termination clauses in employment agreements are critical tools that allow an employer to avoid providing reasonable notice of termination under the common law. Each year there are numerous court decisions on this...more