Tag archives: Employment & Labour

France: Le harcèlement sexuel susceptible d’être exclu en cas d’attitude ambigüe de la victime

Le harcèlement sexuel est défini, dans le Code du travail, par « des propos ou comportements à connotation sexuelle répétés qui soit portent atteinte à [la] dignité [du salarié] en raison de leur caractère dégradant ou humiliant, soit créent à son encontre une situation intimidante, hostile ou offensante ». Le Code du travail prévoit également une … Continue reading

France: Provocative acts do not necessarily fall within the scope of sexual harassment if the victim’s behaviour is ambiguous

By Elodie Grangier on December 12, 2019 Posted in Contracts, Discrimination and harassment, Europe, France

The French employment Code defines sexual harassment as “repeated sexual comments or conduct that either violate the [employee’s] dignity because of their degrading or humiliating nature or create an intimidating, hostile or offensive situation against the employee“. The French employment Code also assimilates to sexual harassment “any form of serious pressure, even non-repeated, exercised for … Continue reading

A Festive Reminder: Employee Entitlements during the Holiday Season

By Crystal Li, Laurie Duhem and Danielle Emmett on December 10, 2019 Posted in Canada

As 2020 quickly approaches, there are a number of upcoming statutory holidays that would trigger obligations of employers to their employees. Below, we have summarized some the most important obligations of provincially regulated employers in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, as well as federally regulated employers, to their employees with respect to the upcoming … Continue reading

Un joyeux rappel : Droits des employés pendant le temps des Fêtes

By Crystal Li, Laurie Duhem and Danielle Emmett on December 10, 2019 Posted in Canada, Québec

Comme 2020 approche à grands pas, il y a un certain nombre de jours fériés à venir qui créent des obligations pour les employeurs envers leurs employés. Nous avons résumé ci-dessous certaines des plus importantes obligations ayant trait à ces jours fériés pour les employeurs régis par les lois provinciales de l’Alberta, de la Colombie-Britannique, … Continue reading

La perte de contrôle d’un camion par un salarié n’exclut pas la faute de l’employeur

By Elodie Grangier on December 6, 2019 Posted in Contracts, Europe, France

Dans le cadre de leurs missions, les salariés doivent respecter l’ensemble des règles (notamment de sécurité) applicables. En particulier, les chauffeurs routiers sont astreints au respect du Code de la Route. Mais l’employeur est également responsable de la sécurité de ses salariés et, si l’obligation de sécurité n’est désormais plus une obligation de résultat, il … Continue reading

Industrial manslaughter progresses in the Northern Territory and Western Australia

By Katherine Morris and Melissa Carnell on December 2, 2019 Posted in Australia

Following our recent updates regarding the introduction of workplace manslaughter laws in Victoria (see our blog article here) and proposed legislative changes in New South Wales (see our blog article here), there have now been further developments, with industrial manslaughter laws being passed in the Northern Territory (NT) and proposed in Western Australia as part … Continue reading

Admissibilité en preuve d’une vidéo de filature : l’article 2858 C.c.Q fait l’objet d’une récente décision de la Cour d’appel

By Marie-Krystel Ouellet on November 21, 2019 Posted in Canada, Québec

Dans une décision majoritaire rendue le 3 octobre 2019[1], la Cour d’appel traite de l’admissibilité en preuve d’une vidéo de filature obtenue en dehors du milieu de travail en vertu de l’article 2858 C.c.Q. La majorité des juges concluent que l’employeur était justifié de procéder à une filature suite aux recommandations de son médecin qui … Continue reading

Une nouvelle décision en matière de banque d’absences payées et sa conformité par rapport à la Loi sur les normes du travail

By Carl Trudeau on November 5, 2019 Posted in Canada, Québec

Depuis le 1er janvier 2019, la Loi sur les normes du travail (LNT) prévoit que les deux (2) premières journées d’absence prises annuellement par un salarié sont rémunérées dans la mesure où il s’agit d’absences pour cause d’obligation familiale, de maladie, de don d’organes ou de tissus, d’accident, de violence conjugale, de violence à caractère … Continue reading

Allégations d’harcèlement psychologique dans l’exercice d’activités syndicales : l’employeur doit-il intervenir ou bien s’abstenir?

By Francis Champagne on October 22, 2019 Posted in Québec

Bien connue est l’obligation de l’employeur en vertu de la Loi sur les normes du travail (LNT) de prévenir le harcèlement psychologique, d’enquêter lorsqu’un tel comportement est porté à son attention et d’intervenir pour faire cesser la conduite harcelante. Mais que se passe-t-il lorsqu’une plainte est déposée à l’employeur pour harcèlement psychologique entre des représentants … Continue reading

France: The complex consequences of the occurrence of gross misconduct during the notice period

By Elodie Grangier on October 15, 2019 Posted in Contracts, Europe, France

The general rule under French law is that when employment contracts are terminated, employees are entitled to a prior notice period, the length of which depends on the status of the employee (executive or non-executive), their length of service, and in some cases their age. The applicable rules are generally set by the sector-wide collective … Continue reading

Check-in for a Check-up – An Employer’s Duty to Make Inquiries

By Taryn Mackie on October 13, 2019 Posted in Canada

Excessive absenteeism is one of the most difficult issues facing human resource professionals today. It is also one of the more complex areas of labour and employment law. One of the reasons why excessive absenteeism is so complicated is because it often raises human rights implications. The perfect example is found in Coast Mountain Bus … Continue reading

How much time – if any – must employers provide to employees to vote in the upcoming federal election?

By Stéphane Erickson and Robert Monti on October 3, 2019 Posted in Canada

In light of the upcoming federal election – currently scheduled for October 21, 2019 – this is a timely reminder for employers on their statutory obligations to provide employees with time off from work so that employees may exercise their constitutionally-protected right to vote on polling day. Voter eligibility under the Canada Elections Act, or … Continue reading

Death during sexual intercourse qualified as a work-related accident

By Laure Joncour on October 2, 2019 Posted in Europe, France

During a business trip to a construction site, an employee was found dead of a heart attack in a room after having had sexual intercourse with a “complete stranger” he met during the day. The employer completed the usual formalities by informing the social security authorities of the death and the circumstances. The social security … Continue reading

What are an employer’s chances of overcoming an employee’s claim for overtime in France ?

By Elodie Grangier on October 1, 2019 Posted in Contracts, Europe, France

The basic working time arrangement in France is 35 hours per week, and although there are a number of alternative working time arrangements potentially available, this is still the one that applies to the majority of French employees. However, this is not a maximum working week – employees working beyond that amount are entitled to … Continue reading

Facilitating HR Management: Electronic medical certificates

By Cornelia Marquardt on September 23, 2019 Posted in Contracts, Data privacy and GDPR, Discrimination and harassment, Europe, Germany

As part of the “Third Bureaucracy Relief Act” the German government intends to introduce an electronic submission procedure for medical certificates regarding the incapacity of employees. More than 80 million of such certificates are issued every year by doctors in Germany. Replacing extensive documentation and record-keeping duties will allow medium-sized companies in particular to reduce … Continue reading

Launch of the Federal Employment Guide for Employers: September 1 Amendments to Part III of the Canada Labour Code

By Natasha Hyppolite, Stéphane Erickson and Heather Cameron on August 29, 2019 Posted in Canada, General

A suite of changes to Part III of the Canada Labour Code (the Code) are coming into force on September 1, 2019, that will confer new rights to employees. For many federally regulated employers, these amendments, brought under Bills C-86 and C-63, will have a significant impact on their workplaces and businesses. To assist employers … Continue reading

Lancement du Guide d’information en matière de droit de l’emploi et du travail fédéral: Modifications à la partie III du Code canadien du travail qui entreront en vigueur le 1er septembre 2019

By Natasha Hyppolite, Stéphane Erickson and Heather Cameron on August 29, 2019 Posted in Canada

Une série de nouvelles modifications apportées à la partie III du Code canadien du travail (Code), qui entreront en vigueur le 1er septembre 2019, conféreront de nouveaux droits aux employés. Ces modifications, adoptées en vertu des projets de loi C-86 et C-63, auront des répercussions importantes sur le milieu de travail et l’entreprise de nombreux employeurs … Continue reading

Are all employees who enter the U.S. on business “Business Visitors”?

By Andrea Vaitzner on August 27, 2019 Posted in Canada, Québec

It is not uncommon for Canadian employers to send their employees to the U.S. for business reasons. When they do so, employers should be mindful of the difference between business and work travel. Depending on the purpose for travel, an individual may enter the U.S. as a Business Visitor, or they may need to apply … Continue reading

Free Menstrual Products in Federally Regulated Workplaces Proposed

By Denyse Boulet on August 21, 2019 Posted in Canada, General

In May 2019, in the Canada Gazette, the Labour Program of the Department of Employment and Social Development (the “Labour Program”) announced a proposal to require all federally regulated employers to provide free menstrual products in the workplace for employees “due to the shame and stigma that often surrounds menstruation.” In addition, the Labour Program … Continue reading

Alcohol at work: can the employer apply a zero tolerance policy?

By Laure Joncour on August 1, 2019 Posted in Europe, France, General

A decision of the Supreme Administrative Court (“Conseil d’Etat”) of 8th July 2019 has overruled the decision of a work inspector (“inspecteur du travail”) who had rejected a zero tolerance policy regarding the consumption of alcohol during working hours for certain classes of employees in a company. The case concerned a company specializing in the … Continue reading

Plafonnement des dommages intérêts en cas de licenciement injustifié : la rébellion se poursuit

By Laure Joncour on July 24, 2019 Posted in France

La Cour de cassation vient de déclarer conforme aux engagements internationaux de la France, le « barème Macron » qui plafonne les indemnités attribuées par un juge en cas de licenciement sans cause réelle et sérieuse. Avant l’entrée en vigueur du « barème Macron », en cas de licenciement sans cause réelle et sérieuse , il appartenait au juge de fixer … Continue reading

The strict conditions that must be complied with to pay variable remuneration in France

By Laure Joncour on June 26, 2019 Posted in France

Whilst an employer is perfectly free to offer variable remuneration to an employee, the validity of such remuneration is subject to compliance with a number of conditions developed by the courts, as follows: – the variation of the remuneration must be based on objectives or targets the accomplishment of which are independent from the employer’s … Continue reading

Loi Pacte : Que faut-il en attendre dans les relations employeurs / salariés ?

By Elodie Grangier on April 26, 2019 Posted in Contracts, Europe, France, General

La loi « Pacte » (Loi relative à la croissance et la transformation des entreprises) a été adoptée en lecture définitive par l’Assemblée Nationale le 11 avril dernier, après de longs mois de débats devant l’Assemblée Nationale et le Sénat. Elle a fait l’objet d’un recours devant le Conseil Constitutionnel, saisi le 16 avril dernier. Les commentaires … Continue reading

French employment law : Key developments expected for 2019

By Elodie Grangier on April 1, 2019 Posted in Discrimination and harassment, Europe, France

The French authorities have been very prolific in the area of effecting reforms to employment law, and 2019 will not be an exception to this general rule (although perhaps less so than was the case in 2017 and 2018). First, in 2019, a certain number of reforms promulgated in 2017 and 2018 will either come … Continue reading