In Shalagin v. Mercer Celgar Limited Partnership, 2023 BCCA 373, the British Columbia Court of Appeal (BCCA) upheld the lower court’s dismissal of an employee’s wrongful dismissal claim and its finding that his surreptitious...more
In Bryant v Parkland School Division, 2022 ABCA 220, the Court of Appeal for Alberta (ABCA) allowed an appeal from a summary dismissal by the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta (ABQB) in Bryant v Parkland School Division, 2021...more
In Antchipalovskaia v. Guestlogix Inc., 2022 ONCA 454, the employer appealed a decision that the employee was entitled to 12 months’ notice for her dismissal without cause, which was based in part on a finding that she was...more
In McCoy v. Choi, 2022 ONCA 403, the Court of Appeal for Ontario (OCA) dismissed an appeal of a motion judge’s order, which allowed a Canadian Football League (CFL) player’s action for damages against a physician for...more
6/2/2022
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Collective Agreements ,
Damages ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
International Labor Laws ,
Negligence ,
Ontario ,
Tort ,
Workplace Injury
In M & P Drug Mart Inc. v. Norton, 2022 ONCA 398, the Court of Appeal for Ontario (OCA) dismissed an employer’s appeal of an application judge’s decision that a non-competition clause in an employment agreement governed by...more
5/31/2022
/ Ambiguous ,
Appeals ,
Canada ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
International Labor Laws ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Ontario ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Unenforceable Contract Terms
In Beach Place Ventures Ltd. v. Employment Standards Tribunal, 2022 BCCA 147, the British Columbia Court of Appeal (BCCA) upheld a determination by the Employment Standards Tribunal (Tribunal) that three taxi drivers...more
In Currie v. Nylene Canada Inc., 2022 ONCA 209, the Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) dismissed the employer’s appeal of a lower court decision in which trial judge held “exceptional circumstances” existed to justify making an...more
The Ontario Court of Appeal’s (OCA) recent decision in Abbasbayli v. Fiera Foods Company, 2021 ONCA 95 (Fiera Foods) reminds corporate directors that: (a) an employee may be able to make a claim against them in a wrongful...more
In McGuinty v. 1845035 Ontario Inc. (McGuinty Funeral Home), 2020 ONCA 816 (McGuinty), the Court of Appeal for Ontario upheld the Ontario Superior Court’s decision to award an employee one of the highest damage awards ever...more
In Abrams v. RTO Asset Management, 2020 NBCA 57 (Abrams), the New Brunswick Court of Appeal considered an employee’s appeal of a decision dismissing his action for damages in lieu of reasonable notice upon his job termination...more
Cormier v. 1772887 Ontario Limited (St. Joseph Communications) (“St. Joseph”), 2019 ONCA 965, is an appeal from a summary judgment motion arising from the wrongful dismissal claim of a contractor who worked for St. Joseph for...more
2/26/2020
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Contract Terms ,
Employee Definition ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
International Labor Laws ,
Notice Requirements ,
Ontario ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Summary Judgment ,
Termination Clauses ,
Wrongful Termination
In Canada Post Corp. v. Canadian Union of Postal Workers, 2019 SCC 67, one of the last decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) in 2019, the court clarified the extent of a federally-regulated employer’s inspection...more
1/22/2020
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Rights ,
Failure to Comply ,
Federal Employees ,
Health and Safety ,
Inspection Rights ,
Labour Code ,
Safety Inspections ,
Supreme Court of Canada ,
Workplace Safety
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
It is rare for an employment law case to come before the highest court in Canada. One of 2019’s most significant developments was the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to consider an employee’s appeal of the Nova Scotia...more
12/17/2019
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Contract Terms ,
Corporate Bonuses ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Duty of Trust ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Ethics ,
Good Faith ,
Incentive Compensation ,
Leave to Appeal ,
Supreme Court of Canada
Members of the Baby Boom generation often remained in one job throughout their working lives. It is now more common for employers to receive résumés from millennials (born between 1981 – 1996) who have had numerous jobs...more
10/21/2019
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Elder Care ,
Employee's Childcare ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Family Status Discrimination ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Judicial Review ,
Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
A recent Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decision considered whether a franchisee who entered into a franchise agreement with a franchisor was an employee or an independent contractor. The fact-specific case, Modern Cleaning...more
8/1/2019
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Franchise Agreements ,
Franchises ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Misclassification ,
Risk Management ,
Supreme Court of Canada ,
Wage and Hour
The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently rendered a decision in Ruston v. Keddco MFG. (2011) Ltd., 2019 ONCA 125, which serves as a cautionary tale for employers whose termination conduct reveals that they do not take their...more
The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently affirmed that it continues to be bound by the existing legal test for adverse discrimination on the ground of “family status” established in Health Sciences Assoc. of B.C. v....more
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
Bill C-74 Receives Royal Assent-
New Legislation Enacted-
Bill C-74, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1, received Royal Assent on June 21, 2018. Initiatives of interest to employers include allowing part-time...more
10/19/2018
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Contract Terms ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employment Contract ,
Equal Access ,
Impairment Rating Evaluations (IREs) ,
Independent Contractors ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labour Code ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Ontario ,
Part-Time Employees ,
Pending Legislation ,
Public Access Laws ,
Termination Clauses ,
Wage and Hour
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