Author Archive - Cristina Lavecchia

Cristina is an editor and researcher at First Reference. She is a licensed paralegal and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree, Political Science major at York University. During Cristina's paralegal and undergraduate studies she studied employment standards, occupational health and safety, and workplace safety and insurance. Read more

Is the first Monday in August considered a statutory holiday?

August 4, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

Is the first Monday in August considered a statutory holiday in your jurisdiction? This year, the first Monday is August 4.

British Columbia Day, civic holiday, discretionary day off, employment law, employment standards act, First Monday in August, Heritage Day, labour standards act, labour standards code, Natal Day, Payroll, Public Holiday, Simcoe Day, Statutory Holiday, Terry Fox Day

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

August 3, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Privacy and Security

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: a warning from the Privacy Commissioner not to reuse passwords, a company that contravened privacy law by releasing the results of an employee’s drug test and Alberta’s investigation of serious workplace health and safety incidents.

drug testing, employment law, health and safety, passwords, privacy, privacy law, workplace health and safety

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

July 27, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Announcements and Administration, Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: a new type of damage that was awarded against an employer after workplace harassment was proven, a case in which expert evidence was not needed to claim damages for mental injury, and the public hearings on Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act.

Bill 148, card-check certification, damages for harassment, employment law, establishing mental injury, fair workplaces better jobs act, general damages, human rights, loss of income, mental injury, mental suffering, Minimum wage increase, non-pecuniary damages, OHSA, personal emergency leave, psychological injury, public hearing, RCMP, test for harassment, tort of harassment, workplace harassment, workplace injury

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

July 20, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Source Deductions and Reporting, Training and Development, Union Relations

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: how an employee’s decision to retrain affected his right to damages after termination, improvements to CRA services for small and medium businesses and union-friendly changes to the certification process included in Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act.

Bill 148, CRA, damages, duty to mitigate, employment law, Payroll, temporary help agency, termination, unfair labour practice, union, union certification

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

July 13, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: workplace strategies where there is a risk of impairment from cannabis, how an employer’s suspicion alone was not enough to prove an allegation of sick leave abuse and how one employer dodged a penalty after failing to adhere to re-employment obligations.

cannabis, employment law, marijuana, occupational health and safety, OH&S, Re-employment obligations, risk of impairment, sick leave, sick leave abuse, WSIAT

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

July 6, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Wages and Compensation

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: a repeal of an increase in OAS age of eligibility, an employer’s refusal to pay bonus not amounting to constructive dismissal and the determination that an employee’s cessation of LTD benefits couldn’t advance by way of action.

bonus payment, breach of employment contract, constructive dismissal, Dismissal, employment contract, employment law, LTD benefits, Old Age Security Regulations

Canada Day, statutory (public) holiday: Celebrating 150 years!

June 30, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

Canada celebrates 150 years on July 1! In all provinces and territories, Canada Day is a statutory (public) holiday. This year, July 1 is a Saturday, a non-working day for most. Therefore, what day will employees have off work?

1867 Confederation, Canada Day, Canada Day long weekend, Day off with pay, employment law, Fathers of Confederation, memorial day, Moving Day, National holiday, Public Holiday, Public Holiday Pay, Retail Business, Statutory Holiday, Statutory holiday pay, Time off with pay, time off work

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

June 29, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Source Deductions and Reporting, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: Supreme Court rules on drug-related dismissal; Harassment as an independent cause of action; and Server awarded damages for sexual harassment.

Dismissal, drug-related dismissal, drugs in the workplace, employment law, sexual harassment, tort of harassment, workplace harassment

Celebrating Discovery Day in Newfoundland and Labrador

June 26, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

In Newfoundland and Labrador, Discovery Day is celebrated on the nearest Monday to June 24. This year, Discovery Day falls on Monday, June 26, 2017. While Discovery Day is a paid holiday for government employees in the province, it is not a statutory (public) holiday under the Labour Standards Act.

Discovery day, discretionary day off with or without pay, employment law, Newfoundland and Labrador, paid holiday for government employees

Celebrating Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in Quebec

June 23, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, HRMS, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

In Quebec, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Fête nationale du Québec et de la Francophonie canadienne, is a statutory holiday on June 24 each year.

Day off with pay, employment law, Fete Nationale, June 24, National holiday, National Holiday Organizing Committee, Public Holiday, Public Holiday Pay, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, St Jean Baptiste, Statutory Holiday, Statutory holiday pay, Time off with pay

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

June 22, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Recruiting and Hiring, Source Deductions and Reporting, Wages and Compensation

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: Wages by occupation, 2016; The risks of mischaracterizing an employee as an independent contractor; and Employer ordered to pay over $53,000 for unpaid general holiday and vacation pay.

employment law, general holiday pay, independent contractor, vacation pay, wages

Celebrating National Aboriginal Day

June 21, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

On June 21, National Aboriginal Day is celebrated in Canada. This day of recognition and celebration was established to honour the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Northwest Territories and Yukon are currently the only two jurisdictions in Canada that recognize June 21 as a statutory holiday.

Day off with pay, employment law, First Nations, general holiday, general holiday pay, Inuit, Métis, National Aboriginal Day, National Aboriginal Day Act, Public Holiday, Public Holiday Pay, Statutory Holiday, Statutory holiday pay, Time off with pay

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

June 15, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Recruiting and Hiring, Source Deductions and Reporting, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: Court of Appeal upholds award to constructively dismissed McDonald’s manager; Employer proves it accommodated employee’s disability to the point of undue hardship; and Employer’s LMIA application denied due to lack of “genuineness” of job offer.

accommodate disability, constructively dismissed, damages, employment law, Labour Market Impact Assessment, LMIA, termination, workplace accommodation

Alberta employment and labour law reforms passed

June 9, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Recruiting and Hiring, Source Deductions and Reporting, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

On June 7, 2017, outside of House sitting, Bill 17, Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act received royal assent. This means effective January 1, 2018, most of the new rules updating employment and labour law in union and non-union Alberta workplace will come into force.

Alberta Employment Standards Code, bereavement leave, Bill 17, citizenship ceremony leave, Compassionate Care Leave, Critical Illness of Child leave, Death or Disappearance of a Child leave, dependent contractors, domestic violence leave, employment law, employment standards code, Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act, hours of work, Labour Relations Code, Long-term Illness and Injury leave, maternity leave, overtime, Personal and Family Responsibility leave, secret ballot, Statutory holiday pay

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

June 8, 2017 Cristina Lavecchia Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Recruiting and Hiring, Source Deductions and Reporting, Union Relations, Wages and Compensation

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: Ontario Employment Standards Act reforms underway; employees awarded $15,000 each in moral damages against employer; and upcoming employment and labour law changes in Alberta.

Bill 148, Bill 17, Changing Workplace Review, damages, employment law, employment standards act, employment standards code, Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act, Labour Relations Code, unpaid overtime, wrongful dismissal