Police Record Checks – New Law on Background Checks
On November 1, 2018, the process for conducting police record checks will change dramatically. On that date, the Police Record Checks Reform Act (the “Act”) comes into effect in Ontario, and it will impact how employers conduct police record checks…
Sale of Business and the Effect on Employees
You Received Your Job Offer – Now What?
The Greater Benefit Prevails: USW, Local 2020 and Bristol Machine Works Ltd. (Bristol Machine)
In Ontario, the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”) governs an employee’s rights and entitlements across many areas of the employment relationship, from minimum wage to maximum hours of work and all the way to an employee’s entitlements to notice,…
Bonus Payments During the Notice Period: Yay or Nay? The Court of Appeal Provides Clarity
Earlier this year, we took an in depth look at the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Singer v Nordstrong Equipment Limited. In a decision that surprised many, Justice Diamond held that while it was clear that…
What’s in a Name? Exploring the Different Kinds of “Severance”
“Severance” is a word that is thrown around quite haphazardly by employees and employers alike. Have you ever heard someone refer to a package offered to a departing employee as a “severance package”? Or perhaps you know a friend or…
Year in Review: The most significant developments in Canadian employment law in 2017
The Hidden Risks of Fixed-Term Contracts of Employment
In one of my blog post for First Reference Talks, I discussed the often misguided usage of fixed-term contracts and unintended consequences that can result. It seems as though many employers have decided to use fixed term contracts in a…
If It Looks Like a Duck, Quacks Like a Duck…
Just because you call yourself a contractor, or you treat your worker as one, does not make it so. As one of my Canadian HR Law blog posts discusses, even if both parties choose to define the relationship as one…