Alberta Court of Appeal: Employees Responsible for Employer’s Money may be Fiduciaries
Recently the Alberta Court of Appeal (“Court of Appeal”) released a decision that expanded the duties employees have to their employers. In 581257 Alberta v Aujla, 2013 ABCA 16 (“Aujla”), two employees were caught on camera stealing money from the...
Alberta’s New Labour Laws Raise Constitutional Questions
Critics claim two new Alberta labour laws infringe the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association. A review of both laws and recent Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) decisions reveals where the battlegrounds will likely lie if...
Expanding Employer Accountability in Ontario – Bill 146
On December 4, 2013 the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 146 – the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2013 (“Bill 146”). The clear intention of this legislation (should it come into force) is to expand the accountability of...
Social Media in the Workplace – Employer Liability Issues
Federated Press course: HR Legal Risks
Has the genie escaped his bottle?
The decision of Wilson v. Solis Mexican Foods Inc is the first Ontario Superior Court decision to award a dismissed employee damages for discrimination. Since the amendments to the Human Rights Code (Ontario) in 2008 plaintiffs have the option of...
Supreme Court of Canada strikes down Alberta privacy law in favour of Union
The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) unanimously struck an Alberta law that prevents unions from videotaping and photographing workers crossing a picket line. The decision resonates across Canada, particularly because other provinces, such as British Columbia, have privacy legislation similar...
Alberta Employer Faces Stiff Penalty for Workplace Death
On October 31, 2013, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench issued a large fine against an employer under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Alberta), sending a strong message that other employers may find frightening. A previous blog post from...
BC Introduces New Bullying & Harassment Regulations
On November 1, 2013, WorkSafe BC’s new Bullying and Harassment regulations came into effect for all provincially regulated employers in British Columbia. Besides including a partial definition of bullying and harassment, the regulations require employers, supervisors and workers to take...
Discipline Without Union Representation May Be Void
Author: Alex Heaslip An Ontario labour arbitrator has reinstated an employee of an armoured truck company whose violation of company policy resulted in the loss of a client’s deposit envelope valued at more than $12,000. On November 11, 2011, the...
News From “La Belle Province”
The Establishment of a New Retirement Savings Regime : The Introduction of Voluntary Retirement Savings Plans Act The Voluntary Retirement Savings Plans Act was introduced by the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity on May 9, 2013. The Bill provides...
