News & Events

In Sharma v. Toronto (City), 2020 HRTO 949 (CanLII), the Applicant alleged that By-Law 541-2020 (the “By-Law”), which requires businesses and other establishments that are open to the public to adopt a policy that members of the public are not permitted entry to, or otherwise remain within, any enclosed space unless they are wearing a

While cases before the courts will wind their way through slowly, labour arbitration hearings can move at a quicker pace. Some COVID issues have already been decided in the collective bargaining context. Of note is a recent arbitration decision in the federal context which upheld the termination of a worker for attending at work and

Over the past months we have all seen just how quickly the rules and regulations in response to COVID-19 have and can change in the interest of protecting public health and safety.  On January 4, 2021, with immediate effect, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health instituted additional operational guidelines for employers. The new operational requirements are

Update: On the evening of December 17th the Ontario Government announced the extension of Infectious Disease Emergency leave to July 3, 2021. To view the press release, please click here. While the COVID-19 Period is slated to end January 2, 2021, employers will still need to be compliant with all orders of public health and

Schweizer v. The Corporation of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville (“Schweizer v. Whitchurch-Stouffville”), provides procedural reminders with respect to the enforcement of settlements entered into in matters before the Human Rights Tribunal (“HRTO”) of Ontario. The applicant, a former employee of the respondent, alleged discrimination with respect to her employment.  The parties entered into Minutes of

Facts The complaining Employee was employed as a housekeeper at a hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario where she was allegedly harassed and taunted by her colleagues and supervisor for having an unpleasant odour and for other matters related to a diagnosed medical condition. While still working at the hotel, the Employee filed a human rights

In June 2020, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruled in favour of an applicant who was the victim of a racial slur during the course of being served at a local pizza franchise. The applicant had just ordered lunch with his friends from high school when one member of the group accidentally cracked a window

It has been a tumultuous year in the land of employment law in Canada.  What had become viewed as rock solid termination provisions began to get thrown out at the end of 2019 in the Court of Appeal decision in Andros v. Colliers Macaulay Nicolls Inc.  and 2020 has seen several other decisions, including Waksdale

In our June 3, 2020 Blog titled O. Reg. 228/20- Ontario Government Effort to Avoid Deemed Terminations and the Onslaught of Constructive Dismissal Claims Under the ESA, we provided you with details of a critical amendment to the Employment Standards Act, 2000(“ESA“),  which prevented temporary layoffs due to COVID-19 from automatically becoming a permanent job

Waksdale v. Swegon North America Inc.: Unenforceable “For Cause” Termination Provisions Render “Without Cause” Termination Provisions Null and Void Over the past few years, the Ontario Court of Appeal has released a number of decisions considering the enforceability of termination provisions. For the most part, the recent jurisprudence has focused on the necessary wording and