In Teamsters Local Union 987 of Alberta v Purolator Inc., 2024 CanLII 21937 (CA LA), an arbitrator dealt with a clash between the amount of leave days under a unionized employer’s collective agreements (CA) and the leave...more
4/16/2024
/ Arbitration ,
Canada ,
Collective Agreements ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employment Litigation ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labour Code ,
Leave of Absence ,
Teamsters ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
On November 24, 2022, Bill 41 – 2022: Workers Compensation Amendment Act (No. 2), 2022 (Bill 41), which introduced changes to British Columbia’s Workers Compensation Act, received Royal Assent. Effective January 1, 2024, Bill...more
In 2023, Canada saw significant statutory and case law developments in labour and employment law. This Insight provides an overview of notable 2023 developments, with links to more detailed articles and commentary....more
On November 25, 2023, O. Reg. 340/23: TERMINATION AND SEVERANCE OF EMPLOYMENT made under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) (Regulation), amending O. Reg. 288/01 (Termination and Severance of Employment), was published...more
In Breen v Foremost Industries Ltd, 2023 ABKB 552, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta dismissed the claim of a President and CEO that he had been wrongfully dismissed from his employment, finding that his employment had...more
10/24/2023
/ Breach of Duty ,
Canada ,
Duty of Care ,
Duty of Loyalty ,
Employee Misconduct ,
Employees ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Personal Liability ,
Punitive Damages ,
Wrongful Termination
In Dove v Destiny Media Technologies Inc., 2023 BCSC 1032 , the Supreme Court of British Columbia found that an employer had just cause for the dismissal of a full-time employee who worked on a side business during working...more
On August 16, 2023, Canada published Regulation SOR/2023-180 under the Canada Labour Code (CLC) (Amending Regulation). The Amending Regulation exempts certain classes of employees in the banking, telecommunications and...more
8/29/2023
/ Airlines ,
Banks ,
Broadcasting ,
Canada ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
International Labor Laws ,
Railways ,
Telecommunications ,
Wage and Hour
In Teljeur v Aurora Hotel Group, 2023 ONSC 1324, a wrongful dismissal case, the court awarded the plaintiff-employee seven months’ damages for reasonable notice, and $15,000 in moral damages due to the employer’s bad-faith...more
The decision of the British Columbia, Canada Civil Resolution Tribunal (Tribunal) in Besse v. Reach CPA Inc., 2023 BCCRT 27 is especially relevant now that remote work has become common. The Tribunal found the employer had...more
5/31/2023
/ Canada ,
Electronic Monitoring ,
Employee Monitoring ,
Employee Tracking ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
International Labor Laws ,
Remote Working ,
Timekeeping ,
Wage and Hour
In Soave v. Stahle Construction Inc., 2023 ONCA 265, the Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) allowed an employer’s appeal of the trial judge’s finding that an employee who was on a temporary leave at the time of an injury was...more
5/16/2023
/ Canada ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employment Litigation ,
Health Insurance ,
International Labor Laws ,
Leave of Absence ,
Long Term Disability Insurance ,
Ontario ,
Wage and Hour
In Safavi-Naini v. Rubin Thomlinson LLP, 2023 ONCA 86, the Court of Appeal for Ontario (OCA) upheld the dismissal of a defamation action under s. 137.1 of Ontario’s Courts of Justice Act (CJA). The decision provides guidance...more
4/10/2023
/ Anti-SLAPP ,
Canada ,
Defamation ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
International Labor Laws ,
Ontario ,
Press Releases ,
Public Interest ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Workplace Investigations
On March 13, 2023, Ontario announced that it is proposing two amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and related regulations.
Employees Who Work Solely from Home to Become Eligible to Receive Enhanced...more
3/16/2023
/ Canada ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Notice Requirements ,
Ontario ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Remote Working ,
Telecommuting ,
Termination
The first deadline for compliance with the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and its regulations is only two and a half months away. By June 1, 2023, federally regulated employers that had 100 or more employees in 2021 must comply....more
In Osmani v. Universal Structural Restorations Ltd., 2022 ONSC 6979, an Ontario court was the first to consider a claim for damages for the statutory tort of human trafficking under the Prevention of and Remedies for Human...more
1/18/2023
/ Canada ,
Damages ,
Employees ,
Exploitation ,
Foreign Workers ,
Hostile Environment ,
Human Trafficking ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Ontario ,
Tort ,
Vulnerable Victims ,
Work Permits
UPDATE: On November 3, 2022, Bill 28, Keeping Students in Class Act, 2022, received Royal Assent.
On October 31, 2022, in an unprecedented bid to prevent school board employees represented by the Canadian Union of Public...more
11/4/2022
/ Canada ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Relations ,
Ontario ,
Pending Legislation ,
School Boards ,
Strike ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Unions
On October 1, 2022, Canada published two proposed Regulations under the Canada Labour Code (CLC) and requested comments by October 31, 2022, via a new embedded commenting feature....more
10/19/2022
/ Canada ,
Comment Period ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Out-of-Pocket Expenses ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reimbursements ,
Wage and Hour
Two years ago in Waksdale v. Swegon North America Inc., 2020 ONCA 391, the Ontario Court of Appeal established the proper method for determining whether a termination clause in an employment agreement is enforceable. ...more
8/25/2022
/ Canada ,
Contract Terms ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Ontario ,
Termination Clauses ,
Unenforceable Contract Terms
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal’s decision in LaFleche v. NLFD Auto, 2022 BCHRT 88, provides employers with insight into how they should conduct themselves while their employees are on a leave of absence. The...more
8/22/2022
/ Canada ,
Demotions ,
Employees ,
Employment Litigation ,
Family Status Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Rights Code ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Leave of Absence ,
Maternity Leave ,
Sex Discrimination