Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Stock options and stock grants have become normal and expected elements of executive compensation in Canada. Stock options are generally granted to executive employees as a means of creating a common purpose or goal between senior employees and the company. The valuation of these options, and the employee’s entitlement to exercise them, has been an issue in many wrongful dismissal actions.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
Most employers are aware that any dismissed employee has a duty to mitigate. Usually, this duty arises in the determination of an appropriate severance payment to an employee. Where an employee contests the severance, the duty to mitigate will undoubtedly apply as part of the matrix of calculations to be determined.
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, October 6th, 2011
As I and others have frequently commented, there is widespread confusion and misunderstanding regarding how our courts determine the amount of notice of dismissal (sometimes referred to as “severance”) an employee is entitled to. The recent decision of the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench in Coppola v. Capital Pontiac Buick Cadillac GMC Ltd. provides a fairly thorough analysis.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
I read an interesting case recently that could be considered controversial: an employer was permitted to contract out of its human rights obligations with some vulnerable employees who were at an economic disadvantage and who experienced significant language barriers. How did the employer accomplish this? The employer added a provision in its termination letter that offered the employees consideration in exchange for signing releases preventing them from launching a human rights complaint.
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, April 7th, 2011
Employers that dismiss employees without cause, and without ensuring that they take steps to preclude all potential claims, can face significant liability beyond the “typical” wrongful dismissal damages. The recent decision of Mr. Justice Echlin of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Brito v. Canac Kitchens is an example of the type of situation employer’s dread. In that case…
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, May 6th, 2010
The Ontario Ministry of Labour has a new online Severance Entitlement Tool to help employers and HR professionals determine when a terminated employee is entitled to statutory severance pay.
Read the rest of this post »Friday, January 22nd, 2010
I recently read an Alberta case where a financial consultant, a top performer, was terminated without notice. The court found he was wrongfully dismissed and terminated in an insensitive manner; this error in judgment cost the employer $2.2 million in damages.
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Andrew Taillon:
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