Termination is essentially the capital punishment of discipline in the employment law realm. However, what recourse is available to future employers of these “harassers”?
What’s Love Got to Do With It? Managing Office Romances
When you consider how much time people spend at work and in the office, it is not surprising that relationships of all types form amongst individuals in the workplace. But office relationships can also develop into something more.
Ghosting: What if Your Employee is Just Not That Into You?
As someone who was part of the Toronto dating scene until her mid-30s, I can tell you about ghosting, but it was not until last month that I recognized that the phenomenon had spread to other social scenarios, including employment.
Expanding the Obligations of Federal Employers: Anti-Harassment and Violence Provisions to be added to the Canada Labour Code
On October 25, 2018, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), and the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1 (the “Act”) received Royal Assent.
HO! HO! Oh No! – What Type of Employer is Santa Claus?
As Employment Counsel, I wonder now whether it really is all cocoa and smiles being an employee of Santa Claus. Looking at workplace requirements from an Ontario perspective, Santa the employer may be exposed in a very different light.
Sentenced to Probation: How Employers Can Protect Themselves When Terminating the Employment of Recent Hires
Employers who seek to impose more rigorous oversight of new employees and minimize termination obligations to those employees can rely on appropriately drafted probationary limitations in their offers. Learn more by reading this blog.
The “New” Law of the Land – Bill 47 Officially Passes and Rolls Back Bill 148
On November 21, 2018, Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018, received Royal Assent and was officially passed. It undoes many of the changes that the Liberal government introduced in Bill 148, returning to previous legislative language.
(Don’t) Google It: Practical Lessons From The Global Walkout By Google’s Employees
First Google and now Wayfair: another employee walkout forces a company to take action. Read on to learn some practical lessons from Google’s global walkout.
Granting Intervener Status in Cases of Sexual Harassment – Victims Can Be More Than Just Witnesses
In the recent Ontario Superior Court decision Render v. ThyssenKrupp Elevator, Master Andrew Graham found that an employee who claimed that a co-worker sexually harassed her could be granted intervener status at the co-worker’s trial for wrongful dismissal.
Business Purchasers Use Employment Contracts to Try to ‘Cover Their Assets’ – Can it Work?
Does an offer of continued employment from a buyer constitute ‘consideration’ such that the new employment contract is binding on the employee?
There’s a Tidal Shift Happening in Human Rights – Part 2. Are Employers Ready for Bill 164?
If passed, Bill 164 would result in amending the Code to include the following as prohibited grounds of discrimination: social condition, police records, genetic characteristics and immigration status. What does this mean for employers?
Starbucks avoids paying employees for every second worked in California… for now. Do Ontario employers have the same ability?
Retail employers often require employees to log out of their time keeping system before finishing the last tasks of the day. Are Ontario employers who don’t pay employees for every second worked contravening the law?
There’s a Tidal Shift Happening in Human Rights – Part 1. Are Employers Ready?
There are changes brewing in human rights law, particularly in Ontario. A recent decision on age discrimination and benefit coverage may require significant amendments to employer benefit plans and resulting costs to employers...
Bad Connection: What is the “Right to Disconnect” and Why Do Employers Need to Know About It?
Given the recent changes to the Ontario ESA, Ontario employers need to know what the right to disconnect is and why it’s important to their businesses.
You found WHAT in the staff room?
Recently, I’ve helped clients with numerous marijuana related workplace issues. Here are some tips for employers on handling marijuana use in the workplace before and after recreational marijuana becomes legal.
Then Now Next: Ontario’s Strategy for Women’s Economic Empowerment
Ontario has become the first province to introduce legislation (Bill 203) to increase pay transparency as part of a broad new strategy to advance women’s economic empowerment and build fairer, better workplaces.
The Life-Changing Magic of Clearing Your Work Bulletin Board
Have you read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing? HR life hack: there are no points for keeping outdated postings on the board, whether it’s in the eyes of the Ministry of Labour or of Marie Kondo.
What Does Equal Pay For Equal Work Equal (As Of April 1, 2018)?
As of April 1, 2018, employers may no longer pay less to employees because of sex or “differences in employment status.” A summary of the new requirements and their practical impact is set out in this blog.
Secretly Recorded Conversations – the Collision of “Technification” and Mistrust in the workplace
As mistrust between employers and employees grows, so does the potential for secretly recorded conversations in the workplace.
Hands up if you want a severance package! A primer on voluntary departure programs
Notwithstanding how common voluntary severance packages are, many of our clients still face uncertainty about what they are and what their impact will be. This blog answers some of the most frequently asked questions about voluntary departure programs.