Topic: North America

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Disparité salariale et statut d’emploi : les tâches doivent être « identiques » pour que le mécanisme de protection prévu à la Loi sur les normes du travail s’enclenche

Photo of Andréane GiguèreBy Andréane Giguère on Posted in Québec
L’art. 41.1 de la Loi sur les normes du travail (LNT) prévoit qu’un employeur ne peut accorder à un salarié un taux de salaire inférieur à celui consenti à ses autres salariés qui effectuent les mêmes tâches dans le même établissement uniquement en raison de son statut d’emploi, notamment parce qu’il travaille habituellement moins d’heures … Continue reading

The Net Result: How Social Media has Transformed the Everyday Workplace

Photo of Taryn MackieBy Taryn Mackie on Posted in Canada
Instagram. Facebook. TikTok. Snapchat.  Four words that have not only changed today’s lexicon, but have also created new issues for today’s employers.  Incidents of “social media gone bad” are steadily appearing in workplaces and employers are struggling to strike an effective balance between protecting their businesses while still preserving their employees’ ability to freely express … Continue reading

Les accords de non-débauchage : votre entreprise est-elle à risque?

Photo of Margot Beauchemin-DaoustBy Margot Beauchemin-Daoust on Posted in Québec
En juin 2022, le législateur fédéral a apporté d’importantes modifications à la Loi sur la concurrence (la « Loi »), lesquelles auront des effets importants pour les employeurs de juridiction tant provinciale que fédérale. Notamment, certaines modifications, qui entreront en vigueur le 23 juin 2023, viennent interdire les accords entre employeurs visant à : Les employeurs ont jusqu’au 23 juin … Continue reading

Bring-Your-Own-Device Programs: A Balance Between Privacy and Cybersecurity

Photo of Liana GiorgioPhoto of Marisa KwanPhoto of Joseph Cohen-LyonsPhoto of Curtis ArmstrongBy Liana Giorgio, Marisa Kwan, Joseph Cohen-Lyons and Curtis Armstrong on Posted in Canada
A ”bring your own device” (BYOD) program is a popular arrangement used by employers, whereby employees use their personal devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops, or tablets) for both personal and business purposes. Last year, about two-thirds of Canadian private sector employers had at least one employee using personal devices for business-related activities. [1]  While the BYOD approach may … Continue reading

Court of Appeals to decide if nonresident plaintiffs can prevail under NY human rights laws in failure-to-hire cases

Photo of Kevin MacNeillBy Kevin MacNeill on Posted in Discrimination and harassment, United States
Global Workplace Insider - A Norton Rose Fulbright BlogIn Syeed v. Bloomberg L.P. 2023 WL 350565, the New York Court of Appeals recently accepted certification of a question on state law put to it by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, namely: Whether a nonresident plaintiff not yet employed in New York City or State satisfies the impact requirement … Continue reading

AI in the workplace: the EEOC and New York City seek to prevent automated discrimination

Photo of Preston BraschBy Preston Brasch on Posted in Discrimination and harassment, North America, United States
On January 31, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) held a public hearing entitled “Navigating Employment Discrimination in AI and Automated Systems: A New Civil Rights Frontier”.[1] During the hearing, the EEOC explored the potential benefits and harms associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated systems in the context of employment-related decisions, … Continue reading

Pour modifier ou faire cesser une pratique passée, la dénonciation est sans effet :le texte en cause de la convention collective doit plutôt être renégocié

Photo of Emmanuelle BoilardPhoto of Sébastien BeauregardBy Emmanuelle Boilard and Sébastien Beauregard on Posted in Canada, Québec
Une récente décision (la Décision) rendue par l’arbitre Me François Hamelin (l’Arbitre)[1] confirme qu’au Québec, la dénonciation d’une pratique passée (utilisée comme moyen d’interprétation d’une disposition ambiguë d’une convention collective) n’a aucun effet en l’absence d’une modification, par négociation, du texte en cause. À notre connaissance, il s’agit de la première décision qui le confirme de … Continue reading

Carefully designed non-competes are still enforceable in British Columbia

Photo of Alysha BennettBy Alysha Bennett on Posted in Canada
Non-competition clauses have recently come under fire, as some Canadian courts and legislatures have rebuffed their application to independent contractors and employees. Courts are generally cautious about enforcing these types of clauses because they are seen as a restraint on trade. Further, given the power imbalance inherent in employment and contractor relationships, non-competition clauses are … Continue reading

Un délai procédural peut-il être soulevé d’office par le Tribunal administratif du travail?

Photo of Andreea RusuBy Andreea Rusu on Posted in Canada, Québec
Dans Abbadi c. Meubles Delta inc.[1], la Cour d’appel du Québec (« Cour d’appel »)  est amenée à se prononcer sur le pouvoir du Tribunal administratif du travail (« TAT ») de soulever d’office le dépassement du délai prévu à l’article 359 de la Loi sur les accidents du travail et les maladies professionnelles[2] (« LATMP ») qui prévoit un … Continue reading

Une grève illégale qui coûte cher, version 2.0

Photo of Jonathan DeschampsBy Jonathan Deschamps on Posted in Canada, Québec
Le 11 juin 2020, la Cour supérieure du Québec a accueilli en partie une action collective à l’encontre de la Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec – Construction (FTQ‑C). Cette action collective visait, à titre de membres du groupe, les travailleurs et les employeurs comptant moins de 50 salariés qui ont été privés de travail ou … Continue reading

Une définition qui ne fait pas l’unanimité – La Cour supérieure annule la définition d’ « agence de placement de personnel » contenue au nouveau règlement

Photo of Jonathan DeschampsBy Jonathan Deschamps on Posted in Canada, Québec
Le contexte Le 26 octobre 2022, la Cour supérieure du Québec, sous la plume de l’honorable Marc Saint-Pierre, a accueilli en partie une demande de diverses associations d’employeurs visant à obtenir l’annulation de certaines dispositions du Règlement sur les agences de placement de personnel et les agences de recrutement de travailleurs étrangers temporaires[1] (le « Règlement »). … Continue reading

Surveillance électronique par l’employeur : le test applicable

Photo of Andréane GiguèreBy Andréane Giguère on Posted in Canada, Québec
Plusieurs employeurs se questionnent quant à la surveillance électronique qu’ils peuvent effectuer auprès de leurs employés, notamment dans un contexte de télétravail en hausse. Le 7 février 2022, la Cour supérieure du Québec, appliquant la norme de la décision raisonnable, a confirmé[1] une sentence arbitrale rendue le 3 août 2020[2] concluant à la légalité de … Continue reading

Proposed Revision to Independent Contractor Classification Rules under the FLSA

Photo of Kira LathamBy Kira Latham on Posted in United States
Global Workplace Insider - A Norton Rose Fulbright BlogThe U.S. Department of Labor has recently unveiled proposed revisions to Wage and Hour Division regulations regarding employee and independent contractor classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The stated intention of this change is to be more consistent with judicial precedent and practical implementation. The proposed change was announced on October 13, 2022 … Continue reading

Commentaire sur la décision Gélinas c. Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) : Un recours collectif autorisé contre la CNESST

Photo of Alexandre Boisjoly-RivestBy Alexandre Boisjoly-Rivest on Posted in Canada, Québec
Résumé La Cour supérieure (la « Cour ») a autorisé l’exercice d’une action collective entreprise au nom de tout bénéficiaire, y compris ses ayants droit, ses successeurs et ses héritiers, ayant été indemnisé en vertu de la Loi sur les accidents du travail et les maladies professionnelles[1] (« LATMP ») pour une maladie associée aux produits de l’amiante et ayant été … Continue reading

Monitoring and Management Tech is on the NLRB’s Radar

Photo of Kevin MacNeillBy Kevin MacNeill on Posted in United States
On October 31, 2022 the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board released a memo urging the Board to adopt a “new framework” for protecting employees from “intrusive or abusive” forms of electronic monitoring and automated management technologies that interfere with employee rights to self-organize and to engage in collective bargaining under Section 7 … Continue reading

NLRB Proposes New Rule Impacting Union Elections and Voluntary Recognition

Photo of Kevin MacNeillBy Kevin MacNeill on Posted in United States
The National Labor Relations Board is proposing to rescind its current rule that allows: Representation elections to proceed even when there are pending unfair labor practice charges alleging employee free choice has been compromised; Challenges to the representative status of a voluntarily recognized before there has been a reasonable period for collective bargaining; and, Election … Continue reading

Free menstrual products in Canadian federally regulated workplaces

Photo of Kevin MacNeillPhoto of Preston BraschPhoto of Erin ColwellBy Kevin MacNeill, Preston Brasch and Erin Colwell on Posted in Canada
The Minister of Labour for Canada has announced Proposed Regulations under the Canada Labour Code. If adopted, employers will have to, among other things: Provide menstrual products, including clean and hygienic tampons and menstrual pads, in each toilet room or, if that is not possible, in another location in the workplace controlled by the employer … Continue reading

New Minimum Worker Age Rules Coming in British Columbia

Photo of Margaret McConnellBy Margaret McConnell on Posted in Canada
British Columbia is tightening rules on age minimums for hazardous occupations. Employers should take note, particularly those in industries such as construction, forestry, animal processing, milling, metal processing or refining, oil and gas, power, and any other industry with potential for exposure to harmful materials. As of January 1, 2023 changes to British Columbia’s Employment … Continue reading

D.C. Circuit vacates NLRB’s order on port union recognition

Photo of Kevin MacNeillBy Kevin MacNeill on Posted in United States
Global Workplace Insider - A Norton Rose Fulbright BlogIn a recent decision, Everport Terminal Services, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted petitions for review and vacated the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) ruling that an employer had committed an unfair labor practice by favoring one mechanics’ union over another. Everport … Continue reading

Let’s Get This Straight: Entitlement to Overtime under the British Columbia Employment Standards Act

Photo of Margaret McConnellBy Margaret McConnell on Posted in Canada, General
Employee entitlement to overtime wages under the British Columbia Employment Standards Act (the “ESA”) is often misunderstood. Common mistakes include assuming that entitlement to overtime wages is based on how an employee is paid (hourly, monthly salary, annual salary, etc.) or that employees that have not been expressly asked or authorized to work overtime are … Continue reading

Looking to the Horizon: Upcoming Strategy Reveal for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Photo of Kevin MacNeillPhoto of Preston BraschBy Kevin MacNeill and Preston Brasch on Posted in United States
On September 22, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) completed the last of three public sessions it conducted to solicit input on a forthcoming Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). In the past, the SEP has established substantive area priorities for the EEOC and set out strategies to integrate components of the EEOC’s private, public, and … Continue reading

Canada Labour Code Regulations to Require Reimbursement for Employee Expenses and More

Photo of Kevin MacNeillPhoto of Emma HamerBy Kevin MacNeill and Emma Hamer on Posted in Canada
Federally regulated employers take note: there are two new pending Regulations addressing (i) reimbursement of employees’ work-related expenses and (ii) the requirement to give new employees a written statement of employment conditions within the first 30 days of employment. Reimbursement for Reasonable Work-Related Expenses Time limit for reimbursement Employers will have to reimburse reasonable work-related expenses … Continue reading

Ninth Circuit to Reconsider California Law Restricting Employment Arbitration

Photo of Kevin MacNeillPhoto of Josh Owings (US)By Kevin MacNeill and Josh Owings (US) on Posted in United States
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit) recently said that it will take another look at California Assembly Bill 51 (AB 51), a state law affecting mandatory employment-related arbitration agreements.[1]  AB 51 prohibits employers from requiring that employees enter into mandatory arbitration agreements for disputes arising under the California Fair Employment … Continue reading
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