Do Labour & Employment Laws Protect Gig Workers?
As many as 20% to 30% of all Canadian workers engage in some form of “gig work,” like driving, freelance writing, developing websites and even pet-sittting. So, it’s only a […]
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Can I Fire An Employee For Breaking Our Policy?
Many employers establish policies that they expect their employees to follow, but a policy is not likely to be followed if there are no consequences for an employee who chooses […]
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Know The Laws Of Your Province on Minimum Age Requirements
All jurisdictions impose age restrictions to protect young workers from being hired for jobs that may harm their health, safety or welfare. Here’s a rundown of the minimum age requirements […]
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Video Surveillance Policy
Closed circuit television and other surveillance equipment can help you keep your work facility safe and secure. But it can also violate the personal privacy of individuals who are monitored. […]
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Choosing One Of Your Adult Children As Your RRSP/RRIF/TFSA Beneficiary? Think-And Act-Carefully
It's an increasingly common story. A widow has several children, all of them adults. She makes a will that leaves her assets to all her children equally. The widow, however, decides to […]
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Apple Faces Backlash on Return to Work Policy
APPLE MINI-REVOLT SHOWS DANGERS OF MAKING REMOTE EMPLOYEES RETURN TO WORK Having gotten used to working from home, many employees are reluctant to heed the call to return to the office. […]
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Accommodation: What You Should Know In Less Than Two Minutes
You just received a request to accommodate childcare obligations, or to accommodate an injury. How do you respond? Do you need some form of accommodation and are unsure how to proceed? Whether you are […]
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Mental Health – Lets Talk About It
The increase of anxiety and depression has been directly linked to lower productivity and higher absenteeism in the workplace... Whether you have been isolated in a remote workspace or exhausted on […]
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How Can Employers Overcome Labour Shortages In Québec And Across Canada?
The repercussions of a global pandemic have left the province of Québec, and, in fact, all of Canada facing longlasting labour shortage issues with thousands of unfilled jobs. According to […]
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The 5 Mistakes HR Managers Make in Workplace Wellness Programs (and How to Fix Them).
Thought: Remember that it is possible to achieve positive ROI in any organisation through a wellness program so if your program isn’t doing that, it means that you need to either […]
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Paying Employees With Your Favourite Things? Court Permits Giving Equipment As Severance
Money may buy matching diamonds, but can an employer then pay its employees with those diamonds when money is running low? A recent decision in Alberta, Hubbard v. 651398 British Columbia […]
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Unionization Made Simpler In BC
Today the BC government announced changes to the BC Labour Relations Code that will make the unionization process much simpler for unions in the province. Employees are currently entitled to a secret ballot […]
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Bill 19 Introduces Amendments to Personal Illness or Injury Leave
On March 28, 2022, British Columbia introduced Bill 19 - 2022, Employment Standards Amendment Act, 2022 (Bill 19) for first reading. Bill 19 addresses issues raised after the province’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) was […]
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A Look At Bill C-13: What Federal Jurisdiction Employers Need To Know
On March 1, 2022, the Federal Minister of Official Languages presented Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private […]
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Offer Your Employees Twice The Retirement Income
The competition for top talent is fierce. Give yourself a hiring advantage by offering a pension plan that pays employees more money in retirement. THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE Research has shown that […]
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The Legal Risks of Digitally Monitoring Employees
The Legal Risks of Digitally Monitoring Employees Use of digital monitoring solutions may violate employees’ privacy rights under the following laws: PIPEDA & Provincial Privacy Laws Personal privacy legislation, including the federal Personal Information […]
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Collective Bargaining In 2022
While truly an understatement, over the last two years society has undergone significant change. We have rising inflation. We have seen COVID-19’s transformational effects on public health, the economy and […]
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Drivers Can Bring Breach of Contract Class Action Lawsuit against Uber
Drivers and delivery personnel have filed a $400 million class action lawsuit contending that Uber improperly classified them as “independent contractors” to avoid having to pay them the ESA, EI […]
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Are CERB Payments Deductible From Wrongful Dismissal Damages? Maybe.
In a recent "win" for employers, and a decision that is the "first of its kind", a court in British Columbia deducted Canada Emergency Response Benefit ("CERB") payments from wrongful […]
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Don’t Spend Your Vacation In A Courtroom: Potential Vacation Time And Vacation Pay Issues That Every Employer Should Know About
In Canada, every legal jurisdiction has laws governing an employer's vacation obligations. These obligations are separated into vacation time and vacation pay. Although the rules around vacation time and vacation […]
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Companies Investing more into Employee Benefits for Mental Health in 2021
Whether you have been isolated in a remote workspace or exhausted on the front-line, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought significant stress into the Canadian workforce. A shocking 50% of Canadians […]
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Paid COVID-19 Vaccination During Work Hours Leave Policy
Although it’s not currently required (except in Saskatchewan; BC has also provided for vaccination leave but it’s unpaid), organizations might want to offer their employees paid time off so they […]
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Sincere but Unreasonable Fears Not Grounds for Mental Stress Benefits
A truck driver who also happened to be a licensed blaster alerted supervisors after spotting what he was convinced were highly dangerous work practices inside an area that contained undetonated […]
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Employee Benefits and COVID-19
Employee benefits are a key component of employees’ compensation. COVID-19 and its impact on employees’ physical and mental wellbeing has highlighted the importance of employee benefits to employees and employers […]
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Make Sure Your 2020 T4 Slips Comply with CRA’s New Reporting Rules
Thanks to COVID-19, end of year payroll processing will be a little trickier this year. As your organization prepares its year-end filings for the 2020 tax year, be aware of the […]
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Supreme Court Awards Wrongfully Fired Employee Post-Termination Bonus
It’s getting harder and harder to enforce termination notice limits. An important new Canadian Supreme Court case confirms that employees who get wrongfully dismissed may qualify for not only termination notice […]
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Around the Provinces: Temporary Layoff Rules Across Canada
Temporary business slowdowns and short-term financial challenges may force you to let go of employees you really want to keep. Layoffs are also expensive because you have to shell out […]
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Employment Benefits Quiz
QUESTION What is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)? ANSWER The CERB is an income support program for workers who have stopped working as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will provide […]
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13 Things You Need to Know about the Newly Revised Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
The federal government recently revised the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). Here are the 13 things HR directors need to know to help their companies take advantage of […]
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