Articles

The Court Strikes Again…

While we always hate to be the bearer of bad news – it seems the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has, once again, elected to make life more difficult for Ontario employers by confirming a previous Court’s approach to the enforceability of termination provisions. In the recent decision of Baker v. Van Dolder’s Home Team...

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Special Measures Announced to the EI Work-Sharing Program in Response to U.S. Tariffs

In an effort to assist employers navigate the current and possible future U.S. tariffs, the federal government announced on March 7, 2025 special measures to the Employment Insurance (EI) Work-Sharing Program. Special measures for the Work-Sharing Program are in effect from March 7, 2025 until March 6, 2026. As a reminder, the Work-Sharing Program may...

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Progressive Discipline: Case Review

Further to our e-Learning yesterday, progressive discipline is an established system where the severity of the consequences increases with each infraction of workplace rules, policies, procedures or standards. Typical “progression” is as follows: Verbal warning Written warning Suspension (with or without pay) Termination Progressive discipline should be applied in response to all forms of employee...

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Legislative Update – ONTARIO

In December, Ontario’s Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 (Bill 229) received Royal Assent and we’ve outlined below the key legislative changes of interest to Ontario employers: Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) The amendments introduce two new unpaid leaves under the ESA: 1. Long-Term Illness Leave – Effective June 19, 2025 An employee who has...

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Case Law Update: Common Law or Common Sense?

As we move into 2025, we’ve highlighted below some recent and important legal decisions in employment law comparing and contrasting Alberta and Ontario decisions. ALBERTA: In the case of Singh v. Clark Builders, 2025 ABKB 3 (CanLII), an Alberta court was dealing with a wrongful dismissal allegation from Mr. Singh who was employed by Clark...

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New Year Checklist: Starting the Year Off Right

Happy New Year! We hope that you all had a lovely holiday season. As we usher in the new year and return to post holiday to-do lists, this is a great opportunity to review your current Human Resources practices, policies and documents. Here are a few areas we recommend you focus on: Statutory Holidays: While...

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The Risks of Terminating Seasonal Employees: Lessons for Employers

With the colder weather soon to arrive, many employers are preparing to hire seasonal workers for the winter. A recent decision regarding a seasonal worker serves as a reminder to employers that having the appropriate HR infrastructure in place can save employers from costly mistakes when hiring seasonal workers. In a recent decision, an employee...

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Current and coming soon employment law changes in Ontario!

ONTARIO ONLY: Having (playfully) mocked the Ontario government for its profound lack of creativity in naming the statutes by which it has been amending employment related legislation in past e-alerts; they have responded, deadpan, with the Working For Workers Five Act, 2024. Yes, folks, it has received Royal Assent. Here are some of the key...

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