Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Employment law articles for U.S. companies with employees in Canada. Written by the attorneys at Fasken Martineau law firm.
by Isabelle Dongier As of January 1, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) implemented its new electronic Express Entry (EE) system, which must now be used by potential applicants for permanent residence under certain economic immigration programs. These programs include the Canada Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program, the Federal Skilled Trades […]
by Louise Béchamp In an interesting case, the Superior Court of Quebec in Syndicat des agents de la paix en services correctionnels du Québec v. Pineau confirmed on judicial review an earlier arbitration decision denying an employee short-term disability benefits for the recovery period following cosmetic surgery.
by Lindsey Taylor The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently reaffirmed that dishonest conduct may be just cause for dismissal without notice. Or it may not. To determine if it is just cause, the conduct must be assessed looking at the whole context of the employment relationship.
by Megan Rolland It may be convenient and easy to use, but you cannot find the answer to everything on the Internet. As one Canadian employer recently learned, Google research on a medical condition is not a proper substitute for individualized accommodation.
by Carla Oliver Ontario recently broadened the definition of “worker” under its Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The broadened definition is consistent with a trend across Canada.
by Hannah Roskey It is well understood that Canadian employers may be vicariously liable for the actions of their employees when the employees are acting within the scope of their duties. But surely not if the employee acts against the instructions of the employer? Maybe so, according to a recent panel of the Alberta Court […]
By Thora A. Sigurdson In Sciancamerli v. Comtech (Communication Technologies) Ltd., 2014 BCSC 2140, a specialized salesperson was terminated without cause after 10 months’ service. He sued for wrongful dismissal. At trial, the main issues were the length of notice for a short-term salesperson and his entitlement, if any, to commission payments during the notice […]
By Katherine Pollock The Ontario Superior Court decision in Fernandes v. Peel Educational, 2014 ONSC 6506, reminds employers in Canada of how badly matters can go awry when a decision on the merits of a cause case is taken out of the hands of the parties and left in the hands of a third party […]
by Louise Béchamp Exaggerating one’s medical symptoms in order to avoid a return to work can be cause for dismissal. This is a lesson that a grievor learned the hard way following the finding of a Quebec arbitrator in Fédération des paramédics et des employées et employés des services préhospitaliers du Québec (FPESPQ) and Services […]
by Thora Sigurdson In June 2014, the Canadian government introduced changes to the country’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). These changes were intended to make it more difficult and expensive for Canadian employers to hire temporary foreign workers (TFWs), thereby encouraging employers to search within Canadian borders to staff their workforce. While the changes to […]