Topic: North America

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Projet de réforme des lois en matière de santé et de sécurité au travail : employeurs, restez à l’affût!

Michèle GiguèreBy Michèle Giguère on Posted in Québec
En juin dernier, le ministre du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, M. Jean Boulet, a annoncé son intention de faire reconnaître certaines maladies psychologiques à titre de véritables maladies professionnelles. En entrevue au journal Le Soleil, M. Boulet annonçait les couleurs de la réforme qu’il souhaite mener afin de moderniser les lois … Continue reading

Le « temps banqué » est-il un investissement risqué?

Frédéric DesmaraisBy Frédéric Desmarais on Posted in Québec
  Plusieurs employeurs offrent à leurs employés non-syndiqués rémunérés sur la base d’un salaire annuel la possibilité de « banquer du temps » au-delà d’un certain nombre d’heures travaillées par semaine. Ce temps est généralement compensé par le biais de congés équivalant au temps accumulé dans cette banque. Il arrive aussi fréquemment que ce temps … Continue reading

L’obligation de tenter de réaffecter un employé incompétent dans un autre poste : une question de faits

Andréane GiguèreBy Andréane Giguère on Posted in Québec
Croyez-vous qu’il est suffisant pour un employeur québécois d’établir des politiques et de fixer des attentes claires à un employé; de lui signaler ses lacunes; de lui fournir le support nécessaire pour se corriger et atteindre ses objectifs; de lui octroyer un délai raisonnable pour s’ajuster; et de le prévenir du risque de congédiement à … Continue reading

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can sometimes hurt you: Damages for defamation may attach to termination communications

Chanelle WongBy Chanelle Wong on Posted in Canada
In Booton v Synergy Plumbing and Heating Ltd., 2019 BCSC 276, an employee successfully sued his former employer for wrongful dismissal as well as defamation in relation to statements made by the employer regarding the reasons for his termination.  Booton is a cautionary tale reminding employers to carefully consider how communications about the departure of … Continue reading

UPDATE: September 30, 2019 deadline for employer pay data reporting to EEOC will cover both 2017 and 2018 pay data

Global Workplace InsiderDavid Gallai (US)James HughesRachel Kurth (US)By Mario Barrera (US), David Gallai (US), James Hughes and Rachel Kurth (US) on Posted in North America, United States
September 30th deadline to provide pay data to EEOC will cover both 2017 and 2018 pay data As we previously reported in our articles Employers with 100 or more employees must provide pay data to the EEOC by September 30, 2019 and New EEOC pay data deadline: September 30, 2019, following an April 25, 2019 … Continue reading

Employers with 100 or more employees must provide pay data to the EEOC by September 30, 2019

Global Workplace InsiderDavid Gallai (US)James HughesRachel Kurth (US)By Mario Barrera (US), David Gallai (US), James Hughes and Rachel Kurth (US) on Posted in North America, United States
September 30th deadline to provide pay data to EEOC Following an April 25, 2019 federal court ruling, employers with 100 or more employees should begin to prepare to report pay data to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by September 30, 2019.  While there is a possibility that an appeals court could stay this … Continue reading

Le projet de règlement sur les agences de placement de personnel est publié

Patrick GaliziaPhilippe BélisleBy Patrick Galizia and Philippe Bélisle on Posted in Québec
En avril 2018, nous vous informions que le projet de loi 176 modifiant la LNT (en vigueur depuis le 12 juin 2018) allait avoir des conséquences pour les agences de placement. De nombreux détails demeuraient toutefois en suspens jusqu’à l’adoption d’un règlement venant préciser les modalités d’application de ces nouvelles dispositions. En date du 10 … Continue reading

Stick to the Program – BC Supreme Court awards discretionary bonus to terminated employee based on “reasonable expectations”

Dallan PoulinBy Dallan Poulin on Posted in Canada
In Thoma v. Schaefer Elevator Components Inc., 2019 BCSC 100, Mr. Thoma’s employment contract allowed his employer, Schaefer Elevator, to terminate his employment without cause on six months’ notice by providing Mr. Thoma his “contractually agreed remuneration during the six months’ notice period.”  Mr. Thoma claimed that this included payment of an annual bonus and that … Continue reading

Restriction territoriale des clauses de non-concurrence dans l’industrie technologique – lorsque la limitation semble elle-même avoir une limite

Xavier HamelBy Xavier Hamel on Posted in Canada, Québec
Les clauses de non-concurrence sont régulièrement utilisées tant dans le cadre de contrats commerciaux que dans le cadre de contrats d’emploi. Ces clauses pondèrent d’un côté les intérêts légitimes commerciaux de l’entreprise au droit notamment de l’employé de gagner sa vie. Elles sont donc une exception à la règle de la libre concurrence et, afin … Continue reading

We all know what the new DOL salary numbers are, but what happens next?

Kimberly Cheeseman (US)Carolyn Webb (US)By Kimberly Cheeseman (US) and Carolyn Webb (US) on Posted in General, North America, United States
The US Department of Labor’s March 7, 2019 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking reset the salary requirements for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s white-collar exemptions. By now we all know the new numbers: the minimum salary threshold will increase from US$455 per week (US$23,660 annually) to US$679 per week (US$35,308 annually) for the executive, administrative, professional, … Continue reading

Ontario Court of Appeal Decides Against Recognizing Tort of Harassment

Global Workplace InsiderBy Toronto E&L Group on Posted in Canada
On March 15, 2019, The Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in Merrifield v. Canada (Attorney General), reversing a trial decision in which the Ontario Superior Court of Justice had recognized the existence of a common law “tort of harassment”. The plaintiff’s claim was based on conduct that he had experienced during his employment … Continue reading

BC Court of Appeal affirms BC approach to “family status” discrimination cases

Global Workplace InsiderBy Jennifer Lang-Hodge on Posted in Canada
The British Columbia Court of Appeal (the “BCCA”) recently issued an important decision about family status discrimination. In Envirocon Environmental Services, ULC v. Suen (“Envirocon”), a unanimous BCCA affirmed the existing legal test for adverse discrimination on the ground of family status under the BC Human Rights Code (the “Code”). For BC employers, this is a welcome … Continue reading

Ralentissement de travail : l’enfer est pavé de bonnes intentions

Laurie DuhemBy Laurie Duhem on Posted in Québec
Perturbations du réseau d’autobus, vitrines vandalisées, courrier accumulé dans les centres de tri … Ces derniers mois, nous avons pu constater que les moyens de pression ne cessent de s’inviter sur la scène médiatique québécoise. À cet égard, le ralentissement de travail demeure un moyen de pression fréquent mais illégal utilisé par les salariés pour … Continue reading

La nouvelle Loi sur l’équité salariale s’en vient

Philippe BélisleFrédéric DesmaraisBy Philippe Bélisle and Frédéric Desmarais on Posted in Québec
L’équité salariale occupe une place importante dans l’actualité québécoise et canadienne depuis plusieurs mois. En effet, une importante saga judiciaire s’est terminée en mai 2018 lorsque la Cour suprême a décidé qu’une loi sur l’équité salariale, adoptée par une législature provinciale ou fédérale, ne pouvait refuser aux femmes l’accès à des ajustements rétroactifs en cas … Continue reading

New York State and New York City employers face new compliance requirements

David Gallai (US)Rachel Kurth (US)By David Gallai (US) and Rachel Kurth (US) on Posted in North America, United States
Recently, New York State and New York City have continued the trend of enacting employee-friendly legislation and issuing broad enforcement guidance under their respective employment laws and regulations.  New York State and New York City employers should be aware of the following recent developments from 2018 and early 2019, and should take action to review … Continue reading

Ontario Delays Pay Transparency Act Coming Into Force

Maxwell RadwayBy Maxwell Radway on Posted in Canada
The Ontario government has delayed the coming into force of the Pay Transparency Act (the Act) from January 1, 2019 to “a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor”. The change comes as part of Bill 57, Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018, which received royal assent on December 6, 2018. … Continue reading

Bill C-86 Receives Royal Assent: New Leaves, Greater Notices, Proactive Pay Equity & More

Stéphane EricksonBy Stéphane Erickson on Posted in Canada
Bill C-86, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 27, 2018 and other measures (the “Bill”), received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018. As noted in our previous publications on the Bill’s amendments to the Canada Labour Code (the “Code”) and the introduction of the new (proactive) … Continue reading

Bill 47: Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 – Employment Standards Act, 2000 Considerations

Maxwell RadwayBy Maxwell Radway on Posted in Canada
Overview On October 23, 2018, the Ontario Government announced its much anticipated legislation in relation to employment and labour law matters. The legislation, dubbed the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 (Bill 47), will remove or modify many of the obligations placed on Ontario employers by way of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, … Continue reading

Bill 47: Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 – Labour Relations Act Considerations

Maxwell RadwayBy Maxwell Radway on Posted in Canada
Overview On October 23, 2018, the Ontario Government announced its much anticipated legislation in relation to employment and labour law matters. The legislation, dubbed the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 (Bill 47), will remove or modify many of the obligations placed on Ontario employers by way of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, … Continue reading

De nouvelles obligations en matière d’équité salariale pour les employeurs de compétence fédérale

Patrick GaliziaPhilippe BélisleBy Patrick Galizia and Philippe Bélisle on Posted in Canada, Québec
Le gouvernement canadien a tenu promesse et a déposé, le 29 octobre dernier, son projet de loi intitulé Loi visant à établir un régime proactif d’équité salariale dans les secteurs public et privé fédéraux. En fait, ce projet de loi fait partie du projet de loi mammouth C-86, Loi no 2 portant exécution de certaines dispositions … Continue reading

Cannabis and the U.S. border – a complex relationship

Rika SawatskyBy Rika Sawatsky on Posted in Canada
Recreational cannabis will become legal in Canada effective October 17, 2018.  However, taking cannabis or any product containing cannabis (whether medicinal or recreational) across Canada’s international borders will remain illegal and can result in serious criminal penalties both domestically and abroad.  This prohibition applies equally to individuals travelling to or from a jurisdiction where cannabis … Continue reading

New York State issues final guidance on anti-sexual harassment law and delays mandatory annual training deadline

David Gallai (US)Rachel Kurth (US)By David Gallai (US) and Rachel Kurth (US) on Posted in North America, United States
In September 2018, we reported on New York State’s issuance of draft guidance under the recently enacted New York State law aimed at preventing sexual harassment.  New York State has now issued final guidance under this law.  This includes final guidance regarding: The anti-sexual harassment policy that every New York State employer (regardless of size … Continue reading
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