minimum standards

Navigating Ontario’s Employment Standards Act

April 8, 2014 Doug MacLeod, MacLeod Law Firm Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources

Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (the ESA) sets out the minimum terms of employment for most employees in Ontario. It is a complex law that is difficult to understand. An employer cannot contract out of these minimum standards. Did you know your organization must post a Minister of Labour poster entitled “What You Should Know About The Ontario Employment Standards Act” in your workplace?

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Another reason why an employment contract should contain a termination clause

October 9, 2013 Doug MacLeod, MacLeod Law Firm Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Notice, Damages and Settlements, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Wages and Compensation

Just like pre-nuptial agreements, employers should contemplate termination when their employment contracts are drafted. A recent case illustrates why it is important to include a legally enforceable termination clause in an employment contract for all employees.

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Do you need a vacation from dealing with vacations?

July 3, 2013 Michele Glassford Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, HRMS, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Source Deductions and Reporting, Wages and Compensation

Creating a vacation policy can be a daunting task and much more complicated than it may seem on the surface. While all jurisdictions have minimum standards with respect to vacation entitlement and vacation pay, many details regarding vacation administration is left to the employer. A vacation policy will ensure management and employees alike understand the details of vacation entitlement and its administration.

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How to avoid an overtime claim

November 16, 2012 Christina Catenacci Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, HRMS, Human Resources, Payroll, Wages and Compensation

So you have an employee who has been working with you for five years, and now you have to terminate the employee because it is just not working out. When parting ways, the employee insists that you should have been paying him overtime pay for all the years he has worked for you – and he wants to claim this alleged outstanding overtime pay, or he will be making a claim for unpaid wages with the Employment Standards Branch for unpaid overtime. How can employers avoid this and other types of overtime claim?

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Ontario Ministry of Labour proactively inspecting temp agencies

June 11, 2012 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Payroll, Recruiting and Hiring, Source Deductions and Reporting, Wages and Compensation

Ontario Ministry Of Labour Temp Agency Inspections

To ensure temporary employment agencies/temporary help agencies are in compliance with the Employment Standards Act, the Ontario Ministry of Labour announced on Friday June 8, 2012, a three-month inspection blitz of temp agencies running form June 2012 until the end of August 2012.

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Termination clauses can be void even if only a possibility they could violate Employment Standards Act

April 5, 2012 Rudner Law, Employment / HR Law & Mediation Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources

As those who read my comments regularly will know, I recommend that every employee be asked to sign an employment agreement that sets out, among other things, the amount of notice or pay in lieu thereof that will be required in the event of a dismissal without cause. Such a provision will eliminate all of the uncertainty that typically arises at the time of dismissal when the parties must assess, negotiate and possibly litigate what “reasonable notice” would be in light of all the circumstances.

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The importance of a well-crafted employment agreement

May 13, 2011 Christina Catenacci Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring

Despite being one of the most basic and fundamental legal protections employers can have, many employers do not use written employment agreements when they hire new employees.

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