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Global Employment Law: The “Great Resignation”: A Global Risk? Transforming Workplace – #1

Photo of Jason NoakesPhoto of Jeff LandmannBy Jason Noakes and Jeff Landmann on Posted in Asia Pacific, Australia, Canada, China, Europe, France, General, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Latin America, Luxembourg, Middle East, North America, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, The Netherlands, UK, United States
With the global change in the way we work seen as a key element of the new “business as usual”, our Transforming Workplace global series examines the global perspectives of the opportunities, challenges and risks of this new transforming workplace. In the first in this series  we examine the concept of the “Great Resignation”. The … Continue reading

Surcharge de travail : La Cour d’appel se prononce sur la portée des pouvoirs de réparation des arbitres de grief

Photo of Megda BelkacemiBy Megda Belkacemi on Posted in Canada, Québec
Le 17 février dernier, dans l’arrêt FIQ — SPSSODIM c. CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’île-de-Montréal, la Cour d’appel rappelle que les larges pouvoirs octroyés aux arbitres de grief ont des limites, notamment en matière de création de postes dans un contexte de surcharge de travail. Le contexte En 2016, des infirmières et infirmières auxiliaires, membres du Syndicat … Continue reading

Ontario Superior Court Confirms Legislative Prohibition on Non-Compete Clauses does not have Retroactive Effect

Photo of Tiffany O'Hearn DaviesPhoto of Basmah OsmanBy Tiffany O'Hearn Davies and Basmah Osman on Posted in Canada, General
As previously discussed in our December 6, 2021 blog post, Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) was recently amended to include a prohibition on non-competition clauses in employment agreements, subject to limited exceptions. The prohibition does not apply to agreements with executive-level employees, nor does it apply in a merger and acquisition context where the … Continue reading

Décision de la Cour d’appel sur la syndicalisation des cadres

Photo of Andréane GiguèrePhoto of Sébastien BeauregardBy Andréane Giguère and Sébastien Beauregard on Posted in Canada, Québec
Le 8 février dernier, la Cour d’appel du Québec a rendu une décision d’importance en matière de syndicalisation : l’affaire Association des cadres de la société des casinos du Québec c. Société des casinos du Québec[1]. Résumé de la décision Selon la Cour d’appel, le Code du travail contient une définition trop restrictive de la notion de … Continue reading

Ontario Ministry of Labour issues Guidance on “Disconnecting From Work” Policies

Photo of Samantha CassPhoto of Tiffany O'Hearn DaviesPhoto of Samuel KeenBy Samantha Cass, Tiffany O'Hearn Davies and Samuel Keen on Posted in Canada, General
As we previously reported, the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) requires that employers with 25 or more employees have a written policy addressing “disconnecting from work” in place by June 2, 2022. The legislative amendments were described in our previous blog post. The ESA itself provides very little information on the required contents of … Continue reading

Top Four Ways to Tank a Termination Clause: What Employers Don’t Know can Cost Them

Photo of Taryn MackieBy Taryn Mackie on Posted in Canada, General
At common law, it is an implied term of every employment contract that, absent just cause to end the employment relationship, an employer must provide an employee with reasonable notice of termination (or pay in lieu). This obligation can be quite substantial, with severance awards upwards of 24 months’ salary plus compensation for things like … Continue reading

New Ontario “disconnecting from work” policy requirement

Photo of Tiffany O'Hearn DaviesPhoto of Samantha CassBy Tiffany O'Hearn Davies and Samantha Cass on Posted in Canada
As previously discussed, legislative amendments in Ontario have introduced a first-in-Canada requirement for employers to prepare “disconnecting from work” policies for their employees. Pursuant to the amendments, employers with 25 or more employees must have a written policy in place with respect to disconnecting from work by June 2, 2022. The legislative amendments were described … Continue reading

Updates to Employment Standards Act, 2000 Policy and Interpretation Manual May Provide Further Support for the Implementation of COVID-19 Vaccination or Testing Policies

Photo of Samantha BlackPhoto of Tiffany O'Hearn DaviesBy Samantha Black and Tiffany O'Hearn Davies on Posted in Canada, Coronavirus
In recent months, Canadian Governments and employers shifted towards the implementation of mandatory vaccination policies in their workplaces (see our previous publication here). As deadlines for compliance lapse, employees may be subject to discipline up to and including termination. Generally, in the event of an employee’s termination of employment, the employee is entitled to notice … Continue reading

Rupture du lien de confiance envers l’un de vos salariés suivant une enquête : employeurs, la célérité est de mise

Photo of Xavier HamelBy Xavier Hamel on Posted in Québec
Au Québec, le vol ou la fraude commis par un salarié dans le cadre de son emploi peuvent généralement constituer un motif sérieux de congédiement. Il peut s’agir parfois d’un vol d’équipement, d’appropriation illégale de sommes dans un contexte de remboursement de dépenses ou simplement d’un vol « de temps ». Ces situations débutent normalement avec de … Continue reading

U.S. Visa Interviews Waived for Certain Nonimmigrant Visas until December 31, 2022

Photo of Andrea VaitznerBy Andrea Vaitzner on Posted in Canada, Québec, United States
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in profound reductions in the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) visa processing capacity. Consequently, the DOS in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on December 31, 2021 that consular officers had been granted the discretionary power to temporarily waive in-person interview requirements for certain nonimmigrant visas until … Continue reading

Employeurs fédéraux et les sanctions administratives pécuniaires

Global Workplace InsiderBy Global Workplace Insider Team on Posted in Canada
Parmi les modifications apportées au Code canadien du travail (Code) entrées en vigueur le 1er janvier 2021, notons l’ajout de la nouvelle partie IV du Code intitulée « Sanctions administratives pécuniaires » (SAP) et du Règlement sur les sanctions administratives pécuniaires (Code canadien du travail) (Règlement). Une approche progressive a été adoptée aux termes du Programme du travail fédéral, … Continue reading

Federal Employers & Administrative Monetary Penalties

Global Workplace InsiderBy Global Workplace Insider Team on Posted in Canada
Within the several changes to the Canada Labour Code (Code) that came into force on January 1, 2021, a new Part IV to the Code entitled “Administrative Monetary Penalties” (AMPs) accompanied by the Administrative Monetary Penalties (Canada Labour Code) Regulations (Regulations) was added. A phased-in approach has been adopted by the federal Labour Program, with … Continue reading

Notice to federally regulated employers: 10 days of medical leave of absence with pay

Global Workplace InsiderBy Global Workplace Insider Team on Posted in Canada, North America
On December 17, 2021, the federally proposed Bill C-3 received royal assent. One of the material amendments made to the Canada Labour Code (Code) will allow employees to earn up to 10 days of medical leave of absence with pay in a calendar year. This amendment will apply to all employees working in a federally … Continue reading

Avis aux employeurs sous réglementation fédérale : 10 jours de congé payé pour raisons médicales

Global Workplace InsiderBy Global Workplace Insider Team on Posted in Canada
Le 17 décembre 2021, le projet de loi C-3 proposé par le gouvernement fédéral a reçu la sanction royale. Une des modifications importantes au Code canadien du travail (Code) est la suivante : un employé pourra acquérir au plus 10 jours de congé payé pour raisons médicales par année civile. Cette modification sera applicable à tout … Continue reading

(Just) Cause for Concern? Ontario Divisional Court weighs in on enforceability of “for cause” termination provisions

Photo of Samantha CassBy Samantha Cass on Posted in Canada, North America
The Ontario Divisional Court recently dismissed the employer’s appeal in Lamontagne v JL Richards & Associates Limited (Lamontagne)[1], adding an appellate lens to the body of case law addressing the enforceability of “for cause” termination provisions in employment contracts.[2] In Lamontagne, the employer terminated the applicant’s employment without cause after 6.25 years. The applicable employment … Continue reading

Government Announcements for Federally-Regulated Employees

Global Workplace InsiderBy Global Workplace Insider Team on Posted in Canada, North America
Mandatory vaccination The federal government has announced that it will propose regulations under Part II of the Canada Labour Code (Code) – Occupational Health and Safety – to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory in all federally-regulated workplaces.  It looks to quickly finalize these new regulations so that they are in force as of 2022. An … Continue reading

New Ontario employment legislation requires “disconnect from work” policies and prohibits non-competes

Photo of Joseph Cohen-LyonsPhoto of Lauren BerdockBy Joseph Cohen-Lyons and Lauren Berdock on Posted in Canada, North America
New legislation in Ontario introduces a first-in-Canada requirement for employers to prepare “disconnect from work” policies for their employees.  It also creates a novel prohibition on non-competition provisions in employment agreements. On December 2, 2021 Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021, (“Bill 27”) received royal assent, passing into law several amendments to employment-related legislation … Continue reading

Sick Day: Five Days’ Paid Leave for BC Employees Starts January 1, 2022

Photo of Dallan PoulinBy Dallan Poulin on Posted in Canada, North America
On November 24, 2021, the Government of British Columbia announced that, as of January 1, 2022, eligible employees will be entitled to five paid days of sick leave per year, pursuant to amendments to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and Employment Standards Regulation, for any personal illness or injury. This entitlement is in addition to … Continue reading

Surveillance et recevabilité du rapport d’enquête : un rappel du test applicable

Global Workplace InsiderBy Global Workplace Insider Team on Posted in Canada, General, Québec
La Cour d’appel du Québec, dans Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (Commission scolaire de Montréal) c. Alliance des professeures et professeurs de Montréal (FAE), rappelle le caractère exceptionnel de l’exclusion d’une preuve pertinente – en l’espèce, un rapport d’enquête suite à une surveillance physique d’une employée – dans le cadre d’un litige et ce, … Continue reading

Ce qui attend les employeurs assujettis à la réglementation fédérale en matière de salaire minimum, de congé lié à la COVID-19 et de travailleurs à la demande

Photo of Stéphane EricksonBy Stéphane Erickson on Posted in Canada, Coronavirus
Il y a bon nombre de sujets chauds et importants dont devraient tenir compte les employeurs assujettis à la réglementation fédérale du secteur privé. Parmi ceux-ci, notons l’augmentation du salaire minimum, les changements devant être apportés au congé lié à la COVID-19 et les nouvelles analyses concernant les travailleurs à la demande et la façon … Continue reading

Up and coming for federally regulated employers: on minimum wage, COVID-19 leave & gig workers

Photo of Stéphane EricksonBy Stéphane Erickson on Posted in Canada, Coronavirus
On the radar for federally regulated employers in the private sector are a number of hot and important topics. These include an increase to the minimum wage, in-the-works changes to the COVID-19-related leave, and new discussions about gig workers and how they fit – or may be able fit –  in the framework of the … Continue reading

En avant toutes : rapports sur la vaccination pour les employeurs sous réglementation fédérale dans certains secteurs clés du transport (et mode d’emploi)

Photo of Nicole BuchananBy Nicole Buchanan on Posted in Canada, Coronavirus
Quand ils ont été tenus le faire, de nombreux employeurs sous réglementation fédérale des secteurs du transport maritime, aérien et ferroviaire ont dû être en mesure de confirmer la mise en oeuvre de leur politique de vaccination obligatoire à Transports Canada avant le 15 novembre 2021. Cette mise en oeuvre s’inscrit dans le cadre de … Continue reading

Full steam ahead: vaccination reporting for federally regulated employers in key transportation sectors (and how to do it)

Photo of Nicole BuchananBy Nicole Buchanan on Posted in Canada, Coronavirus
Where required to do so, many  federally regulated employers in the marine, aviation and rail sectors were required to confirm the implementation of their mandatory vaccination policies to Transport Canada by November 15, 2021. This implementation is part of Transport Canada’s federal vaccine mandate for key federally regulated transportation sectors, save road transportation. Going forward, … Continue reading

Ontario Superior Court declines to block termination of unvaccinated employees

Photo of Samuel KeenBy Samuel Keen on Posted in Canada, Coronavirus
In Blake v. University Health Network[1], the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently discontinued an interim injunction[2] that had been granted to provisionally preserve the employment status of a group of unionized and non-unionized employees who were subject to the potential termination of their employment for failing to comply with the employer’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination … Continue reading
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