Employment Law
Employee Entitlements and Severance Pay in Ontario
The Employment Standards Act ("ESA") in Ontario provides employees with various minimum entitlements under the law. Among the most significant are those dealing with employee entitlements at the time of termination. We often hear the term 'severance pay' applied to...
Termination Pay in Ontario
One of the most important issues that arises when an employer dismisses an employee in Ontario relates to notice pay. Often commonly referred to as severance pay, termination pay or a severance package, notice pay is owed to employees who...
Validity of Termination Clauses in Employment Contracts
When drafting an employment contract, employers should always be careful to ensure that any termination clauses it includes are valid both today and in the future. It is most unpleasant to enter into an employment contract thinking that you know...
No Duty to Mitigate for Terminated Employees under Fixed Term Agreements
A fixed term employment contract is meant to provide certainty to both the employee and the employer. However, where the drafting is deficient, that certainty can vanish and result in significant liability for the employer. A recent Ontario Court of...
Wrongful Dismissal or Termination for Cause?
The majority of litigation in employment law involves termination. There are two different types of termination: termination in the normal course and termination for cause. When dealing with a termination in the normal course, the analysis centers solely on the...
Why you Should Hire an Employment Lawyer to Review, Write or Negotiate An Employment Contract
Each year thousands of individuals in Ottawa will negotiate employment contracts with prospective employers. Unfortunately, many of those individuals will not be equipped with the proper knowledge and information to enable them to draft, negotiate and execute an employment agreement...
FIRED BY FANDOM
Post-match 'man on the street' interviews with supporters of soccer clubs (known as football outside of North America) continue to be dangerous to continued employment and serve as a reminder that one should always consider their audience. We will recall...
WHAT YOU SAY ON FACEBOOK CAN GET YOU FIRED
A recent labour arbitration decision from Newfoundland highlights the importance of stepping back and taking a sober second thought before disparaging one's employer and co-workers openly on Facebook. More specifically, the decision in Communications, Energy and Paper workers Union of...
Enforcement of Non-Competition Clauses in Employment Agreements
Are you entering into an employment agreement with an employee who could seriously affect your business if they left your employment and started competing against you? If so, then you might want to consider including a non-competition agreement in the...
Mandatory Basic Health and Safety Training Required For Ontario Workers And Supervisors
On Friday March 14, 2014, Minister of Labour Yasir Naqvi was a guest lecturer in an Employment Law course being instructed by Pinelopi Makrodimitris in Everest College's paralegal program.During his presentation, Minister Naqvi informed the students about his Ministry's mandate...
