The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently confirmed that when considering the bleak economic environment, a short-term employee must receive a relatively long notice when terminated without cause at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The court dismissed the appeal brought by The New Zealand and Australian Lamb Company Limited, a grass-fed, free-range lamb producer, […]
After more than two years, Ontario’s temporary layoff measure implemented when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, has finally ended. On March 19, 2020, the Ontario government created a new leave under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”), called the Infections Disease Emergency Leave (“IDEL”). Under the ESA, layoffs have always been permissible for a period of […]
Whether you’re a remote work booster or a skeptic, there are lots of unanswered questions about what happens next for remote work, especially as Covid-19 restrictions continue to fade and as fears of a recession loom. How many people are going to work remotely in the future, and will that change in an economic downturn? […]
On June 1, 2020, the Ford government introduced amendments to the Employment Standards Act (ESA), the governing statute that forms Ontario’s employment law. Employment lawyers in Toronto were expecting some modifications to the law because, prior to these amendments, the legislation allowed employers to continue temporary layoffs for a maximum of 13 weeks. Now, over […]
This is not the first time we have commented on this issue as we did in one of our “Ask a Lawyer – Employment law“ segments on Toronto’s CP24 Program. The issue is whether an employee who was working from home during the COVID-19 quarantines is required to return to the workplace, as required by […]
by BRAM A. LECKER, B.A., LLB. BARRISTER & SOLICITOR It’s another morning at work. Through the elevator door that needs an oil, past that infernal clock that runs too slow, the faint smell of bitter coffee and carpet freshener wafting in from the kitchen, where the muffled laughter of office banter begins to overcome the […]
Dependent contractors are a common, but rarely acknowledged worker of the business world. Whether working as a door-to-door salesman or via a numbered company, these workers always have two things in common: most of their income is derived from one contract and the nature of their business arrangements is precarious. For many small and medium-size […]
IDEL – Extended Layoffs & Wrongful Dismissal | Author: Jared Lecker, Employment Lawyer Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Employees looking to start the new year with recall notices to their jobs may have to wait a bit longer. Ontario’s Covid temporary layoff law, the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (“IDEL”) provisions were set to expire but […]
The Omicron variant has forced companies to implement mandatory vaccine policies in response to COVID-19 outbreaks rising across Canada. If you choose not to be vaccinated, there are concerns over legal rights and a loss of a job. This article attempts to answer what to look for in your company’s mandatory vaccination policy and procedures. […]
In employment disputes over vaccine mandates, lawyers say context and reasonableness will be key factors, and the Omicron variant’s high transmissibility may work against some employers. COVID vaccine mandates are common in Canadian workplaces, and while they are producing a lot of client calls for employment lawyers, there is not yet any judicial guidance for […]