Labour & Employment

One of the messages that we deliver to clients all the time is the importance of using written employment agreements for all employees. A recent case from the Ontario Court of Appeal stands for the proposition that the unskilled nature of employment is no longer much of a factor in determini…

When will it end? Many of our clients are becoming increasingly frustrated with the imposition of onerous statutory obligations. And now the Ontario Divisional Court has added another to the pile. Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that a critical injury, which includes a …

While watching a professional development webcast for employment lawyers last month, what stuck in my mind was that I needed to blog about temporary layoffs. Why, you ask?  Well, after practicing employment law for the past 12 years, I have come to realize how few employers understand their …

How times have changed!  Back in the dark ages of my youth, we took postal strikes for granted.  Every few years, the posties got restless and our Sears catalogue was delayed for a week or two.  Unless it was the Wish Book, most people pretty much took it in stride.  Not so today.  Judging by...

As we start a new labour and employment blog it seems fitting to note that the way in which we define “employee” is still very much a work in progress. And with so many statutes impacting every workplace, you practically need a scorecard to keep track as to what kind of relationship will be …

Labour and employment lawyers often write articles at the holiday season about liability for employers arising from their social events at which alcohol is served. And many clients seek opinions or draft workplace policies on the issue. Whether the employer is seeking to manage this issue fo…

It has now been almost 1 year since Bill 168 came into force on June 15, 2010 and, as such, it is time to review and, if necessary, revise your workplace violence and harassment policies and programs. If you recall, Bill 168 amended Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, thereby impos…