News & Events

On October 23rd, 2019, the Ontario government announced new changes that will be made to Rule 76 (Simplified Procedure) under the Rules of Civil Procedure as well as changes to the monetary value of claims that can be brought in Small Claims Court. The purpose of these changes is to expedite court proceedings and to

In a recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal[1], the Court confirmed that 37 years of service in a senior management role does not constitute “exceptional circumstances” to justify a notice period over 24 months. Michael Dawe (“Dawe”) was employed with the Defendant, The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada (“Equitable Life”) for 37

The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld the award of the trial judge finding an employer liable to pay $100,000 in punitive damages and a further $25,000 in aggravated damages, in addition to 19 months’ damages for wrongful dismissal. The employer alleged cause for the employee’s termination and in response to the employee’s claim for

The employee had worked for his employer for 14 years in a manual position in the mailroom. The benefit plan, including long term disability (“LTD”), was self-funded by the employer but administered, adjudicated and paid by Sun Life Assurance Company (“Sun Life”).  The employee received 2 years of short term disability but his request for

If an employer terminates an employee for cause, an employer has no obligation to provide an employee with notice of termination. It is important to remember that establishing cause to terminate an employment relationship is not easy. The existence of cause will depend on the particular facts of each case. A lawyer from Koskie Minsky

In the Ontario Court of Appeal’s first decision of the year, Heller v Uber, 2019 ONCA 1, the court held that an arbitration clause in the terms that individual drivers are required to “accept” to become drivers for Uber breached the prohibition on contracting out of the Employment Standards Act (ESA), and was otherwise unconscionable

What will an Ontario Court do when faced with a California based employee who is seeking to enforce rights pursuant to a contract against his American employer, for termination of his employment?  If his employment contract provides that the contract would be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of

Last week, the Ford Government tabled the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018, more commonly known as Bill 66. Debate on the Bill will not begin until February 19, 2019, but given the substantial PC majority in the House, it is likely that some version of the Bill will receive Royal Assent in the spring of

Summary and Overview On October 23, 2018, the Ontario government tabled Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, for first reading in the legislature. On November 21, 2018, Bill 47 passed third reading, and received Royal Assent the same day. Bill 47 has made many important changes to various pieces of legislation governing employment

Summary and Overview On October 23, 2018, the Ontario government tabled Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, for first reading in the legislature. Bill 47 makes many important changes to various pieces of legislation governing employment and labour relations in Ontario, principally the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) and the Labour Relations Act,