L’accessibilité à la dose de rappel s’accroît – non seulement au Canada, mais à l’échelle mondiale également. Au Royaume-Uni, des doses de rappel (ou troisièmes doses) sont offertes depuis peu à la population générale de 50 ans et plus. En France et aux États-Unis, l’âge minimal généralement requis est plutôt fixé à 65 ans. Au Canada, le … Continue reading
Booster shot accessibility is on the rise – not just in Canada but globally, too. Recently, in the United Kingdom, booster shots (or third doses) have become available to the general public for those 50 years of age or older. In France and the United States, the general age requirement rises to 65 years of … Continue reading
Quand vient le temps d’évaluer le caractère exécutoire d’une clause de licenciement concernant des employés avertis en Ontario, l’intention compte. Dans une récente affaire, Rahman v Cannon Design Architecture[1], la Cour a jugé que la clause de licenciement était exécutoire, en partie parce que la preuve avait établi que, pendant les négociations entre l’employeur et … Continue reading
When it comes to assessing the enforceability of a termination clause for sophisticated employees in Ontario, intent matters. In a recent case, Rahman v Cannon Design Architecture[1], the court found the termination clause enforceable in part because the evidence established that, during contract negotiations between the employer and sophisticated employee, there was a mutual intent … Continue reading
Les faits de cette affaire Après plus de 17 ans à l’emploi d’une compagnie de transport de marchandises lourdes, dont cinq en tant que directeur général, un employé est congédié sans préavis ni explication autre qu’une alléguée « incompatibilité ». Ce congédiement intervient dans une période économiquement précaire pour l’entreprise. Une fois congédié, l’ancien directeur a dû … Continue reading
The Ontario government has proposed legislative amendments to require companies to establish a ‘right to disconnect’ policy for their employees and to ban non-competition provisions in employment agreements. If enacted, this legislation would be a first in Canada. The proposed amendments to the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 include the following: ‘Right to disconnect’: companies … Continue reading
Les employeurs canadiens devraient savoir qu’Emploi et Développement Social Canada (“ESDC“) a publié de nouvelles directives sur le codage des Relevés d’Emploi (“RE“) pour les employés dont l’emploi prend fin après avoir refusé de se conformer à une politique de vaccination obligatoire en milieu de travail. Le régime d’assurance-emploi (“AE“) du Canada offre un soutien temporaire du … Continue reading
Canadian employers should be aware that Employment and Social Development Canada (“ESDC”) issued new guidance on coding of Records of Employment (“ROE”) for employees whose employment ends after failing to comply with a mandatory vaccination policy in the workplace. Canada’s Employment Insurance (“EI”) regime provides temporary income support to unemployed workers. Employees are not eligible … Continue reading
We would like to remind federally-regulated employers that they are generally required to post a notice informing their employees of their obligations under the Pay Equity Act by November 1, 2021. The government has published a template notice and guidance here. Key things to keep in mind include: Employers can draft their own notice or … Continue reading
A British Columbia case has affirmed that the correct use of gender pronouns is a basic right, and that when it comes to inclusivity in the workplace, it is not enough to talk the talk by having a policy in place – employers must walk the walk by taking prompt action to address concerns. Failure … Continue reading
Avez-vous les mécanismes en place au sein de votre entreprise pour prévenir et identifier promptement d’éventuels actes frauduleux de la part de vos employés? Les faits de l’affaire R. c. Aldik, rendu en août dernier par lequel la Cour du Québec (le Jugement), nous rappelle l’importance de s’attarder à la question et de ne surtout … Continue reading
One of the challenging circumstances often facing an employer is having to make a tough decision (e.g. termination) with respect to an employee who is known to have a protected characteristic under human rights law. Whether the employee is elderly, has a disability, is gay, or has another protected characteristic, the concern is that the … Continue reading
On July 1, 2021, British Columbia enthusiastically took the next step in its four-step COVID-19 Restart Plan. The transition to Step 3 brought several changes, including the transition for employers to move away from the previously required COVID-19 Safety Plan to the now required Communicable Disease Plan (“CDP”). WorkSafeBC has published detailed guidance for employers … Continue reading
Dans une affaire récente – Piché et Entreprises Y. Bouchard & Fils inc. – le Tribunal administratif du Travail (Tribunal) a rejeté la demande de retrait préventif d’un travailleur en vertu de l’article 32 de la Loi sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (LSST) car il considère que la COVID-19 ne constitue pas … Continue reading
On July 16, 2021, all regions in Ontario will move to Step 3 of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen, and the province will remain at Step 3 for at least 21 days. In this post, we analyze the legal instrument that will bring the Step 3 rules into force on July 16 and the implication … Continue reading
As restrictions related to COVID-19 continue to ease in British Columbia and employers are given the green light to return employees to the workplace, the ability to continue working remotely is top of mind for employers and employees alike. For those employers that wish to maintain some level of remote working, now is the time … Continue reading
In Hawkes v. Max Aicher (North America) Limited, the Ontario Divisional Court held that the calculation of an employer’s payroll for the purposes of determining its severance pay obligations under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) must include its payroll outside of Ontario and Canada. Background The employee was employed by Max Aicher (North … Continue reading
L’approche de la période estivale rime avec l’arrivée des vacances annuelles, mais aussi l’enchaînement de deux jours fériés en l’espace de 8 jours. La Fête nationale (le 24 juin – jour de la St-Jean Baptiste) et la Fête du Canada (le 1er juillet) tombent cette année toutes les deux un jeudi. Afin de dissiper les … Continue reading
New York State employers should be aware of a recent law aimed at protecting workers from COVID-19 and other airborne infectious diseases, the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act), which imposes significant obligations on covered employers. Among other things, the HERO Act requires the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) to … Continue reading
On June 10, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a mandatory workplace safety rule requiring employers to take specified steps to protect workers from COVID-19. However, the rule applies only to health care settings. Referred to as an emergency temporary standard (ETS), the rule exempts fully vaccinated workers from masking, distancing, and … Continue reading
The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health will conduct a virtual meeting on June 22, 2021, to address current workplace issues and its prior work. The details are set forth in today’s U.S. Department of Labor announcement. The DOL and federal OSHA have been shifting priorities since the initiation of the Biden Administration, … Continue reading
On May 28, 2021, the employer community got its first glimpse of a revised Cal/OSHA emergency, temporary standard (ETS) for COVID-19 that may become law by June 15, 2021. That day—June 15—is significant because it is the date the governor set as a goal for California to “fully open its economy.” In addition, the CDC’s … Continue reading
We reported previously on federal OSHA’s efforts to revise and update various provisions of the Hazard Communication Standard in order to pursue greater workplace safety. On May 20, 2021, OSHA announced an informal public hearing commencing on September 21, 2021 for the purpose of entertaining stakeholder comments and recommendations. For more information, please see this … Continue reading
Vaccination efforts across the country have ramped up significantly. A number of provinces have recently amended existing legislation to allow employees paid time off to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. We provide you with a brief summary of these legislative amendments. Province Legislation Paid Time Off Other Relevant Information British Columbia s. 52.13 of the Employment … Continue reading