Firm Announcements

The Firm welcomes our new Associate, Marie-Michèle Pellerin-Auprix. Marie-Michèle recently completed her articles and has been called to the Bar.   We are proud to announce that our Partner, Annie G. Berthiaume, has been appointed as Vice-Chair to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board effective January 2015.

Words on Pregnancy and Parental Benefits from the Supreme Court

The case began in February 2011 when the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation filed a grievance against the Surrey School Board, which is represented at the bargaining table by British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association. In the collective agreement, the Surrey School Board benefits plan provides birth mothers, birth fathers and adoptive parents with 95% of […]

Non-Continuous Service and Reasonable Notice: Cautionary Tale for Employers

In Vist v. Best Theratronics Ltd., the Ontario Superior Court considered the impact of non-continuous service on the calculation of reasonable notice of termination in a non-unionized workplace. The Court held that when determining the appropriate amount of reasonable notice of termination, years of service earned prior to periods of service interruptions will be taken […]

Legislative Update: Leaves to Help Families Now in Force

In the Summer 2014 issue of EMPlawyers Update, we informed readers about Bill 21, the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Leaves to Help Families), 2013, which amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) to create family caregiver leave, critically ill child care leave and crime-related child death or disappearance leave.   Bill 21 came into force […]

Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety Releases 2013-2014 Report

The Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety was created in 2010, in order to conduct an extensive and comprehensive review of Ontario’s occupational health and safety (OHS) system and to recommend structural, operational and policy improvements to that system. Since its inception, the Expert Advisory Panel has released annual reports to the Ontario […]

Loose Lips Sink Ships – Repayment Obligation

The benefit of restrictive covenants, such as a non-disclosure provision in a settlement agreement, was recently underscored in the Ontario Superior Court decision of Wong v. Globe and Mail. To briefly recount the facts, Jan Wong had been employed by the Globe and Mail for 21 years prior to her termination.  She was on and […]