On June 1, 2020, the Ford government introduced amendments to the Employment Standards Act (ESA), the governing statutes that form Ontario’s employment laws. The amendments took the form of O. Reg. 228/20: Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (“IDEL”). IDEL was enacted by the Ontario government as a measure to furlough (e.g. “layoff”) employees who may or […]
Former Toronto police officer Ralph Thistle says he’s finally able to install a well and running water at the small cabin near Mt. Forest, Ont., he shares with his service dog Rupert. Thistle’s decade-long battle with Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) came to an end last week when he opened his mailbox and […]
No matter how much we love our job, there can come a time when an individual is undergoing a mental disability, such as tremendous stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression, and medical leave is both necessary and recommended by a physician. Prior to and in the wake of COVID-19, the mental health crisis has severely increased […]
When the COVID-19 emergency was declared in March, we expected signs of normalcy to return over the summer months. Now that the province has re-opened for business, we have come to grasp a new reality; learning to live safely with the virus. Let’s digest what this means for Ontario workers. The Occupational Health & Safety […]
As the proverbial dust from the chaotic storm of events caused by the COVID-19 pandemic begins to settle, more and more cases addressing its impact on employee rights are being decided. In Ristanovic v. Corma Inc., and Eliyahu Asafov v Corma Inc., 2021, ONSC 4108, the employee Plaintiffs (who were successfully represented by Jordan Reiner […]
As employment lawyers, we regularly take on cases involving clients who have trouble accessing their employee benefits to get through short-term and long-term illnesses and injuries. Such benefits are administered by third-party private insurers. Claim processes are complicated and applications denied often, leaving ill, injured and disabled individuals to seek out legal services for recourse. […]
As COVID-19 vaccines are made available to an increasing segment of the population and vaccine rollout expands, many are excited about the prospects of returning to some semblance of normalcy. For many, this involves a return to the workplace. Accordingly, employees and employers will have to wrestle with the challenge of their legal rights and […]
As the COVID-19 Pandemic continues to rage and businesses are once again forced to shutter, more and more employees are finding themselves on the receiving end of a temporary layoff or a termination. For those employees who are placed on a temporary layoff, their job security and prospects of a return are left up in […]
This is a very informative wrongful dismissal case that sheds light on the issue of CERB payments vis-à-vis severance, as well as notice entitlements for employees terminated during the pandemic. Plaintiff (Mr. Iriotakis) was successfully represented by our law firm. Mr. Iriotakis was terminated without cause on March 25, 2020. He was 56 years old […]
The human condition is such that anyone can suffer an illness or become disabled at any time. It can occur suddenly or manifest itself over time. It can impact your life, your employment and in turn, your financial stability. Nobody asks for an illness or disability on purpose. And your employer cannot discriminate against you for something […]