Image: "Royal Throne" by D-Stanley is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Any resemblance in this article to real persons, dead or alive, or other real-life entities, past or present, is purely coincidental.
Once upon a time, there was a royal family.
The ruler of the Kingdom was a King. He had three sons,...
Image: "Study" by Tim Swinson | http://timswinson.com is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Clearly, some members of society are being left behind amid responses to corona virus.
Women, the disabled and the impoverished are particularly affected.
Between March and June, schools in B.C. and Alberta abruptly closed.
Alberta’s government is closing middle and high schools again...
Image: Banana peeled
by richard_north. This image was marked with a CC BY 2.0 license.
My son recently came home with a joke, “What did the banana say to the judge?” First, let’s look at a 2015 Supreme Court of Canada constructive dismissal decision.
In Potter v. New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission, the Supreme Court...
Image: "The Bait" by nist6dh is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The Supreme Court of Canada, in a recent unanimous decision in Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited, restored an award exceeding $1 million to a constructively dismissed employee.
In so doing, the Court affirmed that it remains:
… resolute in asserting that...
Image: "Job search" by slightly everything is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Recently, in Dubois v. Milne, the B.C. Court of Appeal considered a claim for an oppression remedy in the wrongful dismissal context.
The oppression remedy is a powerful way of addressing misconduct that has harmed a “shareholder.”
Section 227(2) of the Business...
Alberta’s government recently enacted substantial amendments to Alberta’s Employment Standards Code (ESC), through the Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act, 2020.
The stated purpose was to “save employers time and money.”
Section 63 of the ESC now deems layoffs over 90...
Image: "Ping Pong Balls" by Peter Alfred Hess is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Alberta’s workplace legislation is starting to resemble a ping pong ball.
After the NDP formed the Alberta government in 2013, it amended Alberta's workplace legislation, including Employment Standards Code and Labour Relations Code, to include provisions consistent with those in other...
Image: "Plating DNA Samples" by kqedquest is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Is a Canadian employer permitted to fire an employee based on a genetic predisposition to develop a disability? Can it defend WCB claims based on genetic predispositions? Can an employer require employees to submit to genetic testing?
Can insurance companies deny...
On July 27, 2020, Bill C-20, An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures, received royal assent. This legislation amends the Income Tax Act (Canada) to extend and expand the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) amid COVID-19.
It also released a backgrounder and...
Many employees off work amid COVID-19 are wondering about their rights.
Employers who have curtailed operations are wondering what liabilities may be lurking if upon resuming normal operations they return some but not all employees to work.
When Can Employers Lay off...
