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When an illness or disability strikes which may render it difficult to continue working, employees often feel concerned and anxious about how they are going to make ends meet during such a strenuous time. While some public initiatives have been put in place (such as CPP Disability and WSIB Benefits) to provide assistance to workers, […]

An employment lawyer mainly assists individuals not covered by a union or collective agreement whereas a labour lawyer primarily deals with unionized employees. Employment lawyers help their clients with understanding, advising, and litigating work-related issues in non-unionized workplace, which include but are not limited to termination, workplace harassment, disability-related issues, wage related-issues, and workplace safety.  An employment

On Nov. 30, 2021, Bill 27: Working for Workers Act, 2021, was passed. Once this bill receives royal assent, it will become law in Ontario. We anticipate that this will happen before the end of the year. The bill introduces a number of significant changes that both employers and employees should be aware of. The

In Ontario, there is no general rule forbidding an employer from proposing a pay cut. However, an employer that unilaterally imposes a pay cut on an employee puts itself at risk of a constructive dismissal claim. In addition, substantially altering an employee’s compensation without their consent may amount to a fundamental breach of contract and

The concept of at-will employment does not exist in Canada. Unless one signs a fixed-term contract, most employment in Canada is considered to be for an indefinite period, and can only be terminated by the employer upon giving reasonable notice or pay in lieu thereof. At-will employment and at-will clauses in employment contracts are illegal

An employer may demote an employee for a wide range of reasons. An employee may have failed to meet the requirements of the probationary period of a promotion, behaved in an egregious way that justified demotion. Whatever the reason, a demotion can cause stress, confusion, or even humiliation. As with any change to an employment

Throughout Canada, many employers are choosing to implement mandatory vaccination policies. For those that are federally regulated, employers are bound by the directives of the Federal Government to ensure that such policies are implemented by October 30, 2021. If you fail to disclose your vaccination status and/or you are not fully vaccinated, you will be

“Totally disabled” is a legal term with a special meaning. Generally, the definition of “totally disabled” in Long Term Disability policies is: If the employee is unable to perform substantially all their essential and material job duties, they are said to be “totally disabled”. “Totally disabled” does not mean the employee ia completely incapacitated and

Employees will often be offered termination papers, a severance package, or a separation agreement when they are being let go from a job. Employers may require an employee to sign a release which states that they are not owed any additional severance or termination pay in exchange for the amount received under the agreement. But

In Ontario, maternity leave is referred to as “pregnancy and parental leave” in Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000. In this article, we will review the options available in Ontario concerning maternity leave (pregnancy and parental leave). Maternity leave is not to be confused with EI maternity benefits, which are discussed below. Please note that we