On some days this summer, at the downtown Toronto office of Humi, a human resources software company, a couple dozen employees could be seen at their desks, or taking advantage of the opportunity to chat with colleagues in person. But for an office space that can accommodate its entire staff of 150 people, it’s felt […]
As “quiet quitting”—which is actually just doing the job you were hired for and not going above and beyond—gains traction among Gen Z workers, so has the concept of “quiet firing.” The topic is sparking conversations on social media where some people argue that the real problem is not with young workers establishing boundaries, but […]
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 […]
COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on the Ontario workforce. While many employees contracted COVID-19 and recovered within a few weeks, some individuals still suffer from symptoms months later. According to the federal government, individuals who are still experiencing physical or psychological symptoms more than twelve weeks after initially contracting the virus are suffering from […]
The federal government is proposing legislation to protect an employee’s pension in the event their employer becomes insolvent. The purpose of the legislation is to ensure underfunded pension plans with insufficient assets have the means to ensure those pensions are given priority over large creditors’ executive bonus payouts during the insolvency process. Advocates of the […]
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? […]
Many workers are thinking of making a career change or leaving secure employment, and one recent Bloomberg article explores the numerous benefits of changing your career every decade. Below, we discuss the drawbacks of doing so from an employment law perspective, especially if you are considering leaving a secure job without your next position already […]
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 […]
As the majority of the workforce transitions back to in-office work, employees’ mental health in the workplace can no longer be ignored. Bram Lecker (“Mr. Lecker”), principal of Lecker & Associates, recently addressed this issue in an article, Disability claims involving employees suffering from mental illnesses are rising: lawyer, in the Canadian Lawyer. Specifically, he […]
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 […]