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Canada Employer Liability Issues Coronavirus/COVID-19

Bennett Jones LLP

Mixed Success at The B.C. Supreme Court in Rare Common Issues Trial in Employment Class Action

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While applications for certification of class proceedings are commonplace, trials to decide certified common issues on their merits are comparatively rare. The decision in one such common issues trial was recently released in...more

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Ontario, Canada Appeal Court Confirms Employment Contract Frustrated by Employee’s Refusal to Comply With COVID-19 Vaccination...

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In Croke v. VuPoint System Ltd., 2024 ONCA 354, the Court of Appeal for Ontario (OCA) upheld the Superior Court of Justice – Ontario (SCJ)’s summary judgment decision that an employee’s refusal to comply with their employer’s...more

Ius Laboris

Canadian court upholds termination of unvaccinated worker

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The Ontario Court of Appeal recently held that an employee’s failure to meet COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by a third party amounted to frustration of the employment contract. As a result, there was no obligation...more

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British Columbia, Canada Appeal Court Rejects Employer’s Frustration Defence in Circumstances Connected to COVID-19

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In Aldergrove Duty Free Shop Ltd. v. MacCallum, 2024 BCCA 28, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia (BCCA) dismissed an employer’s appeal when it agreed with the lower court that the employer could not use the frustration...more

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Fundamental Breach or Reasonable Balance? Alberta Court Affirms Employer’s Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

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In the case of Van Hee v Glenmore Inn Holdings Ltd., 2023 ABCJ 244 (Van Hee), Justice L.L. Burt of the Alberta Court of Justice (the Court) held that an employer was justified in unilaterally placing an employee on an unpaid...more

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Alberta, Canada Court Holds Placing Employee on Unpaid Leave for Failure to Comply with Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy is...

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In Van Hee v Glenmore Inn Holdings Ltd., 2023 ABCJ 244 (Glenmore), the Alberta Court of Justice found that an employer’s mandatory vaccination policy was a reasonable, justified and lawful response to the extraordinary...more

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Ontario, Canada Arbitrator Upholds Reasonableness of Hospital Vaccination Policy Providing for Employment Termination of...

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An arbitrator recently issued the first award in Ontario to address and uphold the reasonableness of a hospital vaccination policy that provides for the termination of employment for non-compliance.  In Lakeridge Health and...more

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Ontario, Canada: Paid Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (IDEL) Ends March 31 But Unpaid IDEL Remains Available

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On March 23, 2023, Ontario released its 2023 Ontario Budget: Building a Strong Ontario (2023 Budget). The Budget provides that Paid Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (Paid IDEL) will expire on March 31, 2023....more

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Ontario, Canada Court Finds Employment Contract Frustrated by Employee’s Refusal to Become Vaccinated Against COVID-19

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In Croke v. VuPoint Systems Ltd., 2023 ONSC 1234, Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice decided that an employee’s refusal to comply with mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements resulted in the frustration of the parties’...more

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Alberta Court Confirms Exclusive Jurisdiction of Labour Arbitrator Over Mandatory Vaccination Policy

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The Court of King's Bench of Alberta recently applied the long-standing principle that labour arbitrators have exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate disputes arising under a collective agreement, even in the context of an...more

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25 Key Developments in Canadian Labour and Employment Law in 2022

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In 2022, Canada saw significant statutory and case law developments in labour and employment law, some of which related to COVID-19. This Insight provides an overview of key 2022 developments, with links to more detailed...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Extraordinary Times Call for Extraordinary Measures: Unpaid Leave for Non-Compliance with Mandatory Vaccination Policy Not...

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With the decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court in Parmar v Tribe Management Inc. 2022 BCSC 1675 (“Parmar”), Canada has its first judicial decision considering whether placing a non-union employee on unpaid leave of...more

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British Columbia Court Finds Employer May Place Employee on Unpaid Leave for Failing to Comply with its Mandatory COVID-19...

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Although arbitrators in Canada have considered whether an employer in a unionized workplace can place an employee on unpaid leave for failing to comply with its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, the British Columbia...more

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Ontario, Canada Arbitrator Finds Three-Dose Mandatory Vaccination Requirement Reasonable in Long-Term Care Homes

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In Regional Municipality of York v Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 905 (Long Term Care Unit), 2022 CanLII 78173, Arbitrator Stephen Raymond decided that a mandatory vaccination policy (Policy) requiring employees in...more

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Ontario, Canada: Availability of Deemed IDEL Ended on July 30, 2022 But Unpaid and Paid IDEL Still Available to Eligible Employees

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Deemed IDEL No Longer Available - In May of 2020, Ontario filed O. Reg. 228/20, which provided that a non-unionized employee who did not perform their job duties during the “COVID-19 period” because their work hours were...more

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Canada: Alberta Court Finds Employee Resigned and Was Not Constructively Dismissed When He Did Not Comply with Mask Policy

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In Benke v Loblaw Companies Limited, 2022 ABQB 461, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta (ABQB) dismissed an employee’s claim that he had been constructively dismissed when his employer did not accommodate him with a mask...more

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Ontario, Canada: Three Paid COVID Sick Days Extended Until March 31, 2023

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On July 21, 2022, Ontario filed Regulation 464/22, which amends O. Reg. 228/20: Infectious Disease Emergency Leave Regulation to extend the availability of Paid Infectious Disease Leave (Paid IDEL) until March 31, 2023. ...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Constructive Dismissal Unmasked as Resignation: Alberta Court Finds Employee Resigned After Refusing to Comply with Mask Policy

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In Benke v Loblaw Companies Limited, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench held that the employer did not constructively dismiss one of their employees who had been placed on unpaid leave for failing to comply with a mandatory...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada: Arbitrator Decides Employer Discriminated on Basis of Creed in Denying Request for Vaccine Policy Exemption

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In Public Health Sudbury & Districts v. Ontario Nurses’ Association, 2022 CanLii 48440 (ON LA), Arbitrator Robert J. Herman decided that the grievor was discriminated against on the basis of creed under the Ontario Human...more

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Canada: Another Arbitrator Dismisses Grievance Disputing Mandatory Vaccination Policy

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On April 27, 2022, in Canada Post Corporation v. Canadian Union of Postal Workers (Canada Post), Arbitrator Thomas Joliffe, Q.C. dismissed a union grievance disputing that the unilateral imposition of a mandatory vaccination...more

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Alberta Court Denies Application to Hear Motion to Strike Prior to Class Action Certification Hearing

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In Perez-Nana v Cargill Limited, 2022 ABQB 283, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench considered a sequencing application. Guided by efficiency and fairness, the Court refused to hear the motion to strike the claim or portions...more

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Ontario, Canada: Masking Requirement in Select Higher-Risk Settings and Certain Directives Extended to June 11

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On April 22, 2022, Ontario announced that its Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) is maintaining the existing provincial masking requirements in select higher-risk indoor settings, and the CMOH Directives currently in...more

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Canada: Key Trends in Arbitration Awards Pertaining to Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies

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Since late fall 2021, we have seen a steady flow of arbitration awards emerge in Ontario and British Columbia that consider issues relating to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in the unionized workplace. In this...more

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British Columbia, Canada: Arbitrator Upholds Electricity Provider’s Vaccination Policy But Severs Discipline Aspect as...

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In BC Hydro and Power Authority and IBEW, Local 258, Re, 2022 CarswellBC 837, Arbitrator Gabriel Somjen decided that the mandatory vaccination policy of BC Hydro, British Columbia’s primary electricity supplier, was...more

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British Columbia, Canada: Arbitrator Decides Employer Could Terminate Employee Who Refused Government-Ordered Vaccination

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On April 4, 2022, in Fraser Health Authority v British Columbia General Employees’ Union, 2022 CanLII 25560, Arbitrator Koml Kandola of the British Columbia Labour Relations Board dismissed the union’s grievance respecting...more

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