Employment/Labour Standards

How to remote work well

December 11, 2019 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR and Technology, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development, 0

Today, all sorts of positions are advertised with a remote working option, in part due to the ever-growing desire amongst today’s workers to have options in their workplace.

employee morale, employee perks, employment law, flexible work arrangements, in-person meetings, remote employee, remote working, work from home, work from home arrangements, work from home policy, Work life integration

Doug’s top 5 employment law stories of 2019

December 10, 2019 Doug MacLeod, MacLeod Law Firm Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Wages and Compensation, 0

We have started the last month of 2019 and it is time for my annual top employment law stories of the year. 2019 has been a relatively good news year for Ontario employers.

aggravated damages, employment law, Just cause termination, reasonable notice period at common law, termination clauses, variable compensation

Exclusive or near-exclusive economic dependence determinative of dependent contractor status: Ontario Court of Appeal

December 9, 2019 Employer Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault LLP Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, 0

Between employees and independent contractors exists a third, lesser known category of employment relationship: the dependent contractor. Unlike independent contractors, and subject to specific contractual termination provisions, dependent contractor relationships cannot generally be terminated without notice, or pay in lieu thereof.

common law entitlement, dependent contractor, employment law, independent contractor, Notice of termination, termination notice

Flexibility does not create new terms of employment

December 6, 2019 Rudner Law, Employment / HR Law & Mediation Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Training and Development, 0

Earlier this year, the Ontario Divisional Court upheld a decision which confirmed that an employer’s occasional flexibility with regard to an employee’s hours of work did not displace the employer’s right to enforce the agreed upon hours at a later time.

Attendance policy, duty to accommodate, duty to accommodate family status, employment law, family status, flexible work arrangements, flexible work hours, hours of work

Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk

December 5, 2019 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Privacy and Security, Recruiting and Hiring, Source Deductions and Reporting, Training and Development, Wages and Compensation, 0

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with 2020 payroll rates, compensation and disability accommodation, and a case of sexual harassment.

2020 payroll rates, employment law, management challenges, Pensions and Benefits, recruiting and hiring, team building, teamwork

Stock rights are distinct from employment contract rights

November 29, 2019 Jeff Dutton, Dutton Employment Law Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Wages and Compensation, 0

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.

employment agreement, employment contract, employment law, employment standards act, shareholders’ agreement, stock options

Hiring seasonal workers for the holidays? 10 things employers need to know

November 28, 2019 Employer Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault LLP Accessibility Standards, Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Human Rights, Payroll, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development, Wages and Compensation, 0

As retailers and other seasonal employers gear up for the holiday rush, many hire additional temporary staff to ensure they are ready for crowds of shoppers and extended holiday hours.

employment contract, entitlement to minimum notice, fixed-term employment contract, hours of work, premium pay, regular wages, scheduling work on Sundays, seasonal workers, temporary employees, Termination clause

OCA denies $953,000 “commission” over notice period

November 25, 2019 Barry B. Fisher LL.B. Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Wages and Compensation, 0

In this case, as in other recent OCA cases, the Court is giving greater emphasis to the contractual language of the various bonus and commission plans as opposed to the principles of interpretation generally applied to employment contracts as set out in the seminal case of Wood v Fred Deeley.

bonus and commission, commission, compensation, constructive dismissal, contract of employment, employment law, good faith, notice period

Is the termination clause in my employment agreement enforceable?

November 21, 2019 Vey Willetts LLP Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Wages and Compensation, 0

In this article, we consider some of the circumstances that can result in a termination clause being found unenforceable.

benefits continuation, dismissal for cause, employment agreement, employment contract, employment law, fresh consideration, severance, Termination clause, termination without cause

Will saving provisions no longer save us?

November 20, 2019 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, 0

Saving provisions are widely used in employment agreements to ensure that even if a decision-maker finds that some aspect of some clause is not enforceable due to the fact that it could possibly, maybe, one day, maybe, sorta violate the Employment Standards Act (ESA), the saving provision will communicate to that judge that this was not the employer’s intention to do so.

employment agreement, employment contract, employment law, entitlement to severance, entitlements upon termination, sale of business, saving provisions, termination, Termination provisions

Dealing with employee misconceptions regarding LTD

November 20, 2019 Devan Marr Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, 0

Long-term disability (“LTD”) coverage is often a key benefit employees derive from their employment. LTD benefits can provide significant security to employees in the form of income continuation when they are disabled due to an illness or injury. Today we deal with some common misconceptions that employers may face when attempting to manage an employee’s absence due to disability.

absence due to disability, claim for frustration or abandonment, duty to accommodate an employee with a disability, employment law, entitlement to benefits, Injured employee, Long-term disability, LTD benefits, pay in lieu of notice, termination of employment

Wrongful dismissal update: Alleging just cause is a legal minefield

November 12, 2019 Doug MacLeod, MacLeod Law Firm Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, 0

A recent case (Headley v. City of Toronto, 2019 ONSC 4496 (CanLII)) shows that alleging just cause for termination for a long-service employee can be a risky and costly strategy.

employment contract, employment law, just cause dismissal, Termination clause, Wallace damages, wrongful dismissal

Restructuring tools to minimize the risk of successful constructive dismissal claims

November 11, 2019 Occasional Contributors Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, 0

One of the biggest concerns for employers reorganizing in response to operational requirements is the potential for constructive dismissal claims by employees impacted by the changes.

constructive dismissal, re-employment, recall to work, temporary layoff

Remembrance Day, a public holiday for some, memorial day for others

November 8, 2019 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Wages and Compensation, 0

Remembrance Day falls on Monday, November 11, in 2019. Although Remembrance Day was declared a legal holiday like Canada Day and Victoria Day under the federal Holidays Act on March 1, 2018, provinces and territories determine which days are public holidays in their regions.

Day off with pay, employment law, general holiday, Holiday Act, IN FLANDERS FIELDS, Poppy Campaign, Public Holiday, Public Holiday Pay, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Day Act, Remembrance Day holiday rules, Statutory Holiday

Ontario Court of Appeal: Upon termination, employee’s shareholder rights distinct from common law entitlements

November 4, 2019 Employer Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault LLP Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Uncategorized, 0

In Mikelsteins v Morrison Hershfield Limited, the Ontario Court of Appeal held that an employee was not entitled to compensation over his common law notice period in connection with shares he had purchased under a shareholders agreement.

dismissal without cause, employment agreement, employment law, Notice of termination, shareholder agreement, statutory notice period