Monkhouse Law

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many Ontario businesses to slow down or halt operations entirely. The impact of this economic downturn has affected virtually every industry in the province. Most recently, some legal employers have rescinded articling contracts for recent law school graduates (articling is a mandatory 10-month paid internship prior to becoming a lawyer). …

Law Firms Should Think Twice Before Withdrawing Articling Offers Read More »

Close to a million students between the ages of 15 and 24 enter the job market during the summer, and nearly 100,000 students take part in co-op programs. Professions such as engineering, law, architecture, healthcare, human resources, business, public sector professions, technology, insurance, and law enforcement, offer a variety of internships during the summer break. …

Is Your Summer Internship Cancelled Due to COVID-19? Here’s What To Do (Updated June 18, 2020) Read More »

Workplace investigations can help ensure employers are not only compliant with the law, but also help identify workplace issues, take corrective measures and take steps to prevent them from reoccurring.  However, with the COVID-19 pandemic and court closure till June, should workplace investigations continue? What is a workplace investigation? As the name suggests, a workplace …

Managing and Conducting Workplace Investigations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Read More »

On April 11, 2020, Bill C-14, “A second Act respecting certain measures in response to COVID-19,” received royal assent and became law. The new act implements an emergency 75% wage subsidy for a 12-week period commencing on March 15, 2020, and continuing until August 29, 2020 (the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy). The legislation is enacted …

COVID-19: Canadian Wage Subsidies, Small Businesses and the Self-Employed Read More »

To keep citizens safe, Ontario has deemed certain businesses essential and requested all other businesses to close their physical locations. Subsequently, the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has created new regulations to allow those who provide legal services to work from home and to conduct many essential duties online, one of which is commissioning documents. …

New Virtual Commissioning of Legal Documents – A Positive Development Read More »

Since mid-March 2020, employers have been wondering what options there are for their employees in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are answers to employers’ most frequently asked questions with regards to wage subsidies, SUB Plan and Work-Sharing. Here’s a quick glance at the questions we answer in more detail below: 1. What are …

Employers Frequently Asked Questions About Employment and COVID-19 (Updated Sept 16 2021) Read More »

The pandemic of COVID-19 has significantly impacted workplaces around the globe. Many employers are facing an economic crisis that they have never experienced before. In Ontario, provincially regulated employees have been informed of their legal rights in the event of workplace closures or layoffs. However, alongside provincially regulated employees, it is also important to highlight …

COVID-19 and Federally Regulated Employees: What Are My Rights? Read More »

COVID-19 illness or stress as a result of the pandemic may render employees unable to work. Disability insurance is an important benefit that should not be overlooked in these circumstances. Currently, many employees, who have not been outright terminated, may be temporarily laid off or be subject to various reduced hours plans. Some workplaces provide …

Employee’s Rights: Short-Term and Long-Term Disability During COVID-19 Read More »

The content of this post is constantly updated and it presents the most recent information as of September 16, 2021. Since mid-March 2020, we have answered hundreds of calls from employees in Ontario about their entitlements and options during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees often feel they are presented with ultimatums and cannot afford to pay …

COVID-19 and the Workplace: What Employees Need to Know (Updated Sept 16, 2021) Read More »

Under the Employment Standards Act (ESA), there are three key minimum entitlements an employee is entitled to in the event of termination without cause: 1) notice of termination or pay in lieu thereof, 2) benefit continuation and 3) severance pay. Those entitlements compose your severance package. a) What is notice of termination or pay in …

What Are An Employee’s Minimum Entitlements Under The Ontario Employment Standards Act? Read More »