Top employment law cases of the 2010s
In order of appearance, from newest to oldest, here are the employment law cases that shaped Ontario and to some extent every jurisdiction in Canada in the 2010s:
Stock rights are distinct from employment contract rights
It is the terms of an Equity Agreement, Shareholders’ Agreement or Stock Plan that determine employees’ rights with respect to shares. The common law relating to compensation for breaches of a contract of employment (i.e. reasonable notice) does not apply to shares where there is a distinct and separate agreement.
Does an illegal ‘just cause’ clause void a legal ‘without cause’ clause in an employment agreement?
In Waksdale v. Swegon North America Inc., 2019 ONSC 5705 (CanLII), the Plaintiff signed an Employment Agreement that had a Termination Section that contained both a Termination Without Cause Clause and a Termination With Cause Clause. However, it is important to note that the Termination Without Cause Clause and the Termination With Cause Clause were in two distinct paragraphs separated from each other in the Termination Section. They were not mixed together in the same paragraph.
