Contractors: Dependent or Independent
The Ontario Court of Appeal recently provided some much-needed guidance on how to identify a dependent contractor in Thurston v. Ontario (Children’s Lawyer) (“Thurston”). A dependent contractor is a third...
Articles
Beware of the fixed-term contract! $1.3 million awarded to Former Employee
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently awarded a whopping $1.3 million to a former general manager of a funeral home in North Bay, Ontario. In, McGuinty v. 1845035 Ontario...
A Slap (or Three) in the Face – Ignore a Harassment Claim and Pay the Price!!
In Bassanese v German Canadian News Company Limited et al, an employer learned the hard way that ignoring a complaint of workplace harassment can result in serious financial consequences. The...
Is “Ethical Veganism” Considered a Prohibited Ground of Discrimination?
In 2017, Adam Knauff, an Ontario firefighter, was working for his employer – Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in British Columbia – fighting forest fires. Mr. Knauff is...
Bills C-63 and C-86 to come into force September 1, 2019
Federal employers finally have an in-force date for previously proposed legislation as the federal government recently confirmed the changes to the Canada Labour Code will come into force on September...
Legislative Changes for Alberta
The Alberta government has proposed Bill 2: An Act to Make Alberta Open for Business (“Bill 2”). If passed, Bill 2 will repeal or revise some of the workplace amendments...
Good News! Severance Pay Based on Ontario Payroll Only!
As most employers who operate in Ontario are aware, in accordance with the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, as amended (the “ESA”), an employer who terminates an employee without cause...
BC Proposes Amendments to the Employment Standards Act
Surprise, surprise…another Bill but this time in British Columbia. On April 29, 2019, the BC Government tabled Bill 8: Employment Standards Amendment Act, 2019. If passed into law, Bill 8...
Canada’s New Parental Sharing Benefit
The Government of Canada recently launched a new Employment Insurance Parental Sharing Benefit on March 17, 2019. Parents, including same-sex parents, are now entitled to additional Employment Insurance benefits after...
Over $60,000 Awarded for the Mishandling of a Sexual Harassment Complaint
The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (the “Board”) has awarded over $60,000 to a CRA employee in Ontario who was sexually harassed by her boss at work....