In This Issue: 5 Key Things for Employers to Consider in Drafting Termination Clauses in Employment Contracts, What Is – and What Isn’t – Constructive Dismissal: An Update, FTRQ&A with John Kloosterman: Key Differences Between Canadian and U.S. Employment Law and much more!
Insights
Case In Point
Court of Appeal Outlines Key Principles On Suspending Employees With and Without Pay
In Filice v. Complex Services, the Ontario Court of Appeal provided valuable guidance regarding constructive dismissal, investigative suspensions of employees without pay and proper damages assessments. The plaintiff/respondent in appeal was employed by Complex Services (the defendant/appellant) as a Security Shift Supervisor at Casino Niagara and Fallsview Casino. All employees in the Casino’s Security Department…
FTR Now
BPS Executive Compensation – New Framework Takes Immediate Effect
On August 13, 2018, the Ontario government implemented a new Compensation Framework (New Framework) under the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act, 2014 (BPSECA) that came into immediate effect.
Case In Point
Requiring Proof of Eligibility to Work in Canada on a Permanent Basis Discriminatory
In a recent decision released by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Tribunal found that an employer discriminated against a potential employee on the basis of citizenship when it required proof of eligibility to work in Canada on a permanent basis as a condition of employment.
Human Resources Legislative Update
Federal Accessibility Legislation Tabled
On June 20, 2018, the federal government introduced Bill C-81, An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada (Bill), accessibility legislation which will apply to certain federally regulated employers. In its preamble, the Bill states that barriers to accessibility can prevent full and equal participation in society by Canadians with disabilities. If passed and among other things,…
Minimum Standards Monitor
The First Bill 148 Cases: Overview of Key New ESA Decisions
It has now been 7 months since Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, was enacted and cases are beginning to emerge which interpret the new provisions of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). In this Minimum Standards Monitor, we review some decisions of particular interest to employers which involve the new personal emergency leave (PEL) requirements, the equal pay for equal work provisions and the new minimum wage entitlements.
Human Resources Legislative Update
2018 Federal Budget Bill Passes
On June 21, 2018, Bill C-74, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1, received Royal Assent. Bill C-74 is omnibus legislation enacting some of the measures outlined in the 2018 Federal Budget. Among other things, it includes amendments to the following: Employment Insurance Act, to permanently implement the Working While on Claim pilot project; Canada…
FTR Now
Court Holds Judicial Review Not Available in Broader Public Sector Compensation Restraint Challenge
The Divisional Court recently issued an important decision, Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa v. University of Ottawa, with respect to the ability of a union to challenge a university’s determination of compensation payable to its non-unionized employees on the basis that the determination is contrary to the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act,…
FTR Now
Coming Into Force Date of New Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 Postponed
As we previously reported, the new Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 (SFOA) was to come into force on July 1, 2018. That coming into force date has been postponed indefinitely to give the new government an opportunity to review the new regulations related to vaping…
Federal Post
A Changing Legislative Landscape
Welcome to the latest issue of our Federal Post. In this issue we discuss: best practices for minimizing the risk of workplace sexual harassment, the new prohibition on use of vaping products in federally regulated workplaces, latest developments on the serious sanctions under the Canada Labour Code (Code) and the Criminal Code for health and safety violations, being proactive about Code compliance in light of the incoming power of the Minister of Labour to order an employer to perform an internal audit – see our Code “Compliance Checklist”