What do employment contracts and termination letters have in common? They both have the potential to end, or at least limit, an employer’s liability in the event of a termination. However, to be effective, they must be properly drafted. A termination letter that fails to assert just cause for termination, and specify the reasons for […]
The New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench has recently clarified the law regarding without cause termination provisions. The decision, Stéphane Vienneau v. Joy Global (Canada) Ltd., 2020 NBQB 76, explains that a properly worded termination provision is valid and enforceable even if it limits the employee’s entitlements to those set out in the Employment Standards […]
On June 12, 2020, legislation was passed temporarily amending the Labour Standards Act (the “Act”) to extend the period of temporary layoff contemplated in the Act. Background Previously, under section 49 of the Act, an employee on temporary layoff for a period exceeding 13 weeks over a consecutive 20 week period would be considered to […]
Written by Jamie Eddy, KC. On Friday, legislation was passed to amend the Employment Standards Act to provide for an emergency leave to protect workers’ jobs during states of emergency and public health threats. An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act (the “Act”) provides that an employer must grant an employee a leave of […]
Employers are obligated to accommodate disabled employees to the point of undue hardship. Accommodation often requires arranging an employee’s job or workplace duties in such a way that the employee will be able to actively engage in the workforce despite their disability. The duty to accommodate, however, is not limitless. In Katz et al. v […]
2019 brought several notable cases impacting employment and labour law. We have put together a brief summary of 10 Canadian decisions we believe employers should be aware of as we head into 2020. 1. Ruston v Keddco MFG (2011) Ltd, 2019 ONCA 125 Ontario Court of Appeal provides an important lesson that overly aggressive tactics […]
On November 1, 2019, employees on Prince Edward Island will be entitled to up to three (3) days leave with pay and an additional seven (7) days leave without pay if an employee, their minor child or a person for whom an employee is a primary caregiver of is a victim of domestic violence, intimate […]
When is it appropriate for an employer to discipline an employee for their activity on social media? This is a question that employers often struggle with, due to the fact that it raises complex and nuanced issues, such as the divide between a person’s private life and their employment responsibilities, and the extent to which […]
In Temple v. Aviva Insurance Company of Canada,1 the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador determined that the plaintiff, a seasonal worker, was not employed at the date of the motor vehicle accident. As a result, he did not qualify for loss of income payments under Section B of Newfoundland and Labrador’s standard automobile insurance […]
2018 saw a number of developments in employment and labour law. Below, we provide a summary of the top 10 Canadian decisions from the last 12 months that we believe Atlantic Canadian employers should be aware of coming into 2019. Re Lower Churchill Transmission Construction Employers’ Assn Inc and IBEW, Local 1620 (Tizzard) Arbitrator finds […]