Blog



December 2nd, 2024

The Ontario government has proposed further changes to a number of employment and workplace laws.

November 1st, 2024

Read on to learn more about the most recent legislative amendments to Ontario's employment laws.

October 15th, 2024

A real-life example shows the utility of a properly drafted and implemented workplace policy.

October 11th, 2024

Workplace policies can be useful tools to establish clear expectations and increase productivity in the workplace.

October 8th, 2024

Read on to learn more about recent and upcoming changes to Ontario's employment laws.

August 5th, 2024

Recent caselaw emphasizes the duty to handle terminations honestly and with care, or risk financial repercussions.

July 30th, 2024

The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal finds no obligation to investigate sexual harassment complaint filed post-termination.

July 23rd, 2024

A case study from a recent Alberta decision.

July 17th, 2024

It is important for employers and employees alike to understand how Ontario's employment laws apply to foreign nationals.

June 20th, 2024

A recent Ontario Court of Appeal considered the sufficiency of "consideration" in the employment context.

June 17th, 2024

Recent Ontario caselaw provides helpful insights for understanding discrimination and reprisal claims.

June 11th, 2024

Recent caselaw considers the enforceability of a release against a discrimination complaint.

May 24th, 2024

Ontario has introduced a new bill to further amend and update Ontario's employment laws.

May 8th, 2024

A recent Ontario Court of Appeal case provides helpful insights into the legal considerations surrounding competitor hiring.

April 10th, 2024

Read on to learn more about the common employer doctrine and how it may impact your workplace.

April 9th, 2024

A recent ruling from the OLRB provides important guidance on disclosure obligations following workplace harassment investigations.

April 3rd, 2024

The Ontario Human Rights Commission recently released a landmark policy statement on caste-based discrimination. Read on to learn more.

April 2nd, 2024

Ontario's enacted further changes to employment laws with the passage of the Working for Worker's Four Act, 2023.

March 22nd, 2024

Insights from Dufualt v. The Corporation of the Town of Ignace, 2024 ONSC 1029

March 13th, 2024

Read on to learn about the impact on unionized workers and implications for non-unionized workforces.

January 23rd, 2024

Check out our annual recap for important employment law developments and predictions for 2024.

December 22nd, 2023

Ontario's employment laws are ever evolving. Read on to learn about the more recent updates.

November 16th, 2023

Do fixed-term independent contractors need to mitigate their damages if terminated early? This was the issue in dispute in a recent Court of Appeal case.

November 9th, 2023

Maintaining a healthy and safe work environment is important, even if employees work remotely.

October 25th, 2023

Wondering about how resignations work in Ontario? Read on to learn more!

September 26th, 2023

Unintentional discrimination during the hiring or promotion process will still be offside the Ontario Human Rights Code.

September 7th, 2023

Can an employer be held responsible for an employee's wrongful actions which harm a third party? It depends. Read on to learn more.

August 23rd, 2023

Understanding when and how to use fixed-term contracts in your workplace is key.

August 21st, 2023

Effective January 1, 2024, temporary help agencies and recruiters will need to be licensed to operate in Ontario. Read on to learn more.

August 15th, 2023

Changes are being rolled out to the federal Canada Labour Code. Read on to learn how this may impact your workplace.

August 8th, 2023

A recent Ontario Court of Appeal case considered whether an employer can ask about citizenship as part of the hiring process. Read on to learn more.

July 26th, 2023

What are your rights and obligations when it comes to language in the workplace? Read on to find out.

June 8th, 2023

Significant amendments to the Competition Act are coming into force on June 23, 2023, which may impact your business and employment practices.

June 6th, 2023

Harassment is widely condemned. Yet the legal recourse can seem limited. This may be changing. Read on to learn more.

June 2nd, 2023

Effective now, Ontario employers may be required to supply naloxone kits in the workplace. Read on to learn more.

May 24th, 2023

In an effort to combat modern slavery, the Canadian government passed legislation which introduces new annual reporting requirements for certain entities.

May 19th, 2023

An employee secretly recorded his termination meeting and relied upon it to claim extra damages.

May 12th, 2023

Quebec has adopted new legislation relating to the use of the French language, including provisions aimed to increase French in workplace matters.

April 25th, 2023

Minimum wage rates are increasing across Canada. Read on to learn more.

March 16th, 2023

Ontario court declines to award damages to an employee whose contract was found to be frustrated as a result of his refusal to vaccinate against COVID-19.

March 15th, 2023

In this case, the Court of Appeal affirmed that foundational changes to the employee's role rendered the previously agreed to contract unenforceable.

December 20th, 2022

Federal employees have new entitlements to paid and unpaid time off work due to medical reasons.

December 14th, 2022

Bonuses can be an important tool to reward and motivate employees, but can have pitfalls. Read on to learn more.

December 13th, 2022

Lee Workplace Law lawyer, Hannah Goranson, was recently interviewed about LTD benefits and wrongful dismissal.

December 8th, 2022

Terminated employees must try and mitigate their damages or face the consequences.

December 1st, 2022

The issue of whether CERB is, or is not, deductible from wrongful dismissal has been ongoing. The British Columbia Court of Appeal has now weighed in.

November 7th, 2022

Employment and labour matters having been making headlines recently. Read on to learn more about how some of these changes could impact your workplace.

November 3rd, 2022

In response to CUPE's pending strike, the Ontario government has tabled legislation to prohibit strikes and lock outs for education support workers.

October 28th, 2022

Vetting a potential new hire is important. Check out this blog post to make sure you're doing it right.

October 28th, 2022

Terminations can be tricky. Handling them with care is important to reduce exposure to liability.

October 26th, 2022

Read on to learn more about the legal considerations regarding police record checks in the workplace.

October 7th, 2022

How do LTD benefits impact wrongful dismissal damages? Read on to learn more.

September 30th, 2022

In what appears to be the first civil court decision on the topic, an employer's mandatory vaccination policy was upheld as reasonable.

September 26th, 2022

In our final instalment of the LEAVE series, we discuss the other leaves of absences which employees may be able to take in Ontario.

September 22nd, 2022

In Part II. of our LEAVE series, we explore employees' entitlements to time off work due to illness in Ontario.

August 10th, 2022

Know what your legal rights are with maternity and parental leave, under employment standards, labor law, and human rights, to protect you and your family.

August 10th, 2022

Chart that compares maternity and parental leave under applicable employment standards legislation from province to province in Canada.

July 25th, 2022

What is an arbitration clause? And when will it be enforceable? Read on to find out.

July 25th, 2022

Arbitration has advantages and disadvantages, both of which should be considered before agreeing to arbitrate.

July 14th, 2022

Recent Ontario Court of Appeal decisions take a stringent approach to issues of workplace sexual harassment.

July 8th, 2022

Handling a workplace harassment complaint can be tricky. In this blog post, we outline some of the preliminary steps and considerations to keep in mind.

April 12th, 2022

On April 11, 2022, Bill 88 was passed into law. Read on to learn more about how this might impact your workplace.

March 31st, 2022

Technology makes it easy to record or monitor workplace interactions. But does that mean it is allowed? Read on to learn more.

March 25th, 2022

Calculating reasonable notice entitlements requires careful consideration of the circumstances. Read on to learn more.

March 3rd, 2022

The Ontario government has announced proposed legislation that would result in further changes to Ontario's employment law landscape.

February 25th, 2022

Ontario's employment standards legislation now requires that employers prepare written disconnecting from work policies. Read on to learn more.

January 18th, 2022

Maintaining a discrimination free workplace is important for employers and employees alike. Read on to learn more.

January 7th, 2022

In this blog post, we outline some of the key changes to employment standards legislation for 2022.

December 17th, 2021

Read on to learn more about some of the key changes to Ontario's employment laws arising as a result of the Working for Workers Act, 2021.

November 24th, 2021

Learn more about the initial arbitration decisions on the enforceability of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for the workplace.

November 22nd, 2021

Care should be taken when deciding how to structure your business. Read on to learn about common business structures in Ontario and the features of each.

November 18th, 2021

Read on to learn more about the limited exceptions to the right to equal treatment in the workplace.

November 11th, 2021

A constructive dismissal occurs when an employee resigns as a result of the employer's failure to fulfil its fundamental employment obligations.

November 8th, 2021

It is important for federally regulated employees and employers to understand their rights and obligations on termination. Read on to learn more.

November 3rd, 2021

Key employees may owe fiduciary duties to their employers, including to act loyally and avoid conflicts of interest. Read on to learn more.

November 1st, 2021

Saving clauses are aimed at preventing a potentially unenforceable provision from being void. Recent decisions have found they may not always succeed.

October 29th, 2021

COVID-19 has had a widespread impact, including on family and work duties. Read on to learn about accommodation of family obligations in the workplace.

October 26th, 2021

Ontario introduces new legislation that proposes a ban on non-compete clauses in employment agreements.

October 12th, 2021

It is important that both employers and employees understand their rights and obligations relating to mental health in the workplace.

September 7th, 2021

This was the question considered in the recent Ontario Labour Board Decision of ALL Canada Crane Rental Corp. v. Jason Hanna. Read on to learn more.

September 2nd, 2021

Starting September 22, 2021, Ontarians will be required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and photo ID to enter certain establishments.

September 2nd, 2021

Omni TV interview in Mandarin regarding the legality of employers mandating COVID-19 vaccinations at the workplace.

August 31st, 2021

Are employers in the City of Toronto obliged to implement COVID-19 workplace vaccination policies? Read on to learn more.

August 25th, 2021

A number of recent decisions have been released considering the appropriateness of class actions relating to worker classification.

August 23rd, 2021

The federal, provincial, and municipal authorities have recently made announcements regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in the workplace.

August 19th, 2021

The Supreme Court of Canada recently provided some welcome clarification on the appropriate approach to interpreting releases.

August 11th, 2021

WSIB provides protection to employers and employees alike in the case of a workplace injury. However, WSIB coverage may impact an employee's right to sue.

August 6th, 2021

It is important to understand the duties, responsibilities, and potential liabilities that come with being a director of an Ontario corporation.

August 5th, 2021

With the upcoming roll out of the Pay Equity Act and new minimum wage, federal employers face a number of new obligations. Read on to learn more.

August 3rd, 2021

Directors are essential to a corporation. It is important to understand who can be a director and the process involved in becoming a director.

July 27th, 2021

The recent decision in Kraft v. Firepower Financial confirms that COVID-19 may increase an employee's entitlement to reasonable notice of termination.

July 26th, 2021

With COVID-19 vaccination rates on the rise, it is important to consider how to handle vaccination in your workplace.

July 23rd, 2021

Most employment relationships in Ontario are governed by the Employment Standards Act (ESA). Read on to learn about the process for filing an ESA claim.

July 20th, 2021

If a person experiences discrimination in the workplace, they can file a claim with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Read on to learn more.

July 15th, 2021

Read on to learn more about what constitutes a wrongful dismissal and the steps involved in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit.

July 7th, 2021

The debate continues whether temporary layoffs that occur during COVID-19 amount to constructive dismissal at common law. Read on to learn more.

July 5th, 2021

With telework becoming a more common arrangement, its important to consider the legal implications of working remotely abroad.

June 25th, 2021

COVID-19 precipitated a rapid shift to remote work. As we look to the future, its important to consider how remote work may impact employment entitlements.

June 17th, 2021

The Divisional Court recently clarified that the $2.5 million payroll threshold for severance under the ESA includes an employer's global payroll.

June 16th, 2021

The Ontario Court of Appeal recently reconsidered when shares will form part of an employee's compensation package. Read on to learn more.

June 10th, 2021

Two Ontario court decisions have now been released on whether an employee who is temporarily laid off due to COVID-19 can sue for constructive dismissal.

June 7th, 2021

In its decision in Labrador Recycling Inc. v. Folino, the Ontario Court reminds employers that overbroad restrictive covenants will not be enforceable.

June 3rd, 2021

Ontario employees are now entitled to paid time off work for reasons relating to COVID-19. Read on to learn more!

May 26th, 2021

A number of recent Ontario decisions have considered how the COVID-19 pandemic may impact employees' entitlements on termination.

May 11th, 2021

Employees with childcare or family obligations may be entitled to accommodation in their workplace.

April 26th, 2021

With the rise in work from home arrangements, it is important to consider where "home" is and how that may impact employment rights and obligations.

April 9th, 2021

Navigating severance and employment insurance (EI) benefits can be tricky. Read on to find out the answers to our F.A.Q. on this topic.

February 9th, 2021

The Canadian government is offering financial support to employers during the COVID-19 crisis. Read on to learn about the current programs in place.

February 9th, 2021

The Canadian government is offering financial support to employees during the COVID-19 crisis. Read on to learn about the current programs in place.

January 18th, 2021

Federal employers beware - your termination provisions may be subject to challenge. Read our review of the decision in Sager v. TFI International Inc.

January 14th, 2021

What happens when an employer discovers cause for termination after an employee has been dismissed without cause? Read on to find out.

January 4th, 2021

Can employers require that their employees receive the COVID-19 vaccination in order to return to work? Read on to find out.

November 15th, 2020

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, learn about your public holiday entitlements.

October 28th, 2020

Terminations for cause are tricky. It is important to understand when a termination for cause is, or is not, appropriate.

October 23rd, 2020

Learn about the special overtime rules that apply to the agriculture industry, household and landscaping services, government employees, and students.

October 22nd, 2020

Learn about the special overtime rules that apply to the EMS and healthcare, hospitality services and sales, construction, and transportation industries.

October 21st, 2020

Certain professional employees are not entitled to overtime. Read on to learn whether your profession excludes you from overtime pay.

October 20th, 2020

Employees who work as managers or supervisors may not be entitled to overtime pay in Ontario.

October 16th, 2020

Understanding Ontario's overtime rules is important. Read on to learn about your overtime entitlements.

October 15th, 2020

The Supreme Court of Canada's recent decision provides some welcome clarity on employees' bonus entitlements on termination.

October 9th, 2020

Vacations provide a chance to rest and unwind. Read on to learn about your rights relating to vacation.

October 8th, 2020

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Ontario, the government has announced new public health measures affecting workplaces.

October 1st, 2020

In certain circumstances, the poor conduct of the employer during the course of the termination may justify an extra damages award.

September 4th, 2020

On September 3, 2020, the Ontario government announced that employees who have been off work due to COVID-19 can stay off for longer until January 2, 2021.

August 31st, 2020

Ontario caselaw explain whether employees are entitled to variable pay during their reasonable notice period after they have been terminated from work.

August 30th, 2020

Purchaser and seller to an asset sale of a business should consider employment law issues. Employees should also be aware of their rights and obligations.

August 21st, 2020

Workplace Harassment and Violence rules are different for federally vs. provincially employees, and there have been changes to the former. Stay up to date.

August 10th, 2020

Whether you are an employee, dependent contractor, or an independent contractor, will determine what workplace rights you may have, or not.

July 29th, 2020

On July 24, 2020, the Reopening Ontario Act ends Ontario's COVID-19 declared emergency. Learn the employment implications for employers and employees.

June 24th, 2020

Termination provisions in employment contracts must comply with minimum standards to be valid. Otherwise, employees will get greater severance entitlements

June 1st, 2020

Ontario proposes changes to the Workplace Safety and Insurance laws to make it easier for workers tested COVID-19 positive to get WSIB benefits.

May 30th, 2020

Ontario government says mass layoffs and terminations during COVID-19 is not layoff or constructive dismissal. Key takeaways, and questions that come next.

May 28th, 2020

Legal updates on remote/virtual legal proceedings in Ontario during COVID-19, and best practices.

May 22nd, 2020

Clear and effective communication between the employer and employee is crucial for a successful return to work from COVID-19.

May 21st, 2020

In Ontario, if an employee genuinely believes it is not safe for them to return to work from COVID-19, when, and how, can an employee refuse to work?

May 7th, 2020

Amid COVID-19, must employees return to work, or can they refuse to go back? What can they ask employers for on health, safety, and human rights?

May 6th, 2020

As businesses prepare to re-open it is crucial that employers understand their obligations to provide a safe workplace. Know health and safety duties.

April 1st, 2020

As Canadian employers face a blunt shortage of work and cashflow issues, consider innovative, albeit radical, COVID-19 workplace solutions.

March 30th, 2020

The AODA makes Ontario more accessible to people with disabilities. Find out employer obligations and critical timelines.

March 18th, 2020

An employer terminating a soon-to-start employment agreement will give rise to severance-like entitlements for the employee. Learn how to navigate this.

March 17th, 2020

Amidst COVID-19, employers to review their business continuity plan at least once a day, and employees to stay abreast of changing employment issues.

March 6th, 2020

Think an employee terminated for cause is automatically precluded from severance? Think again. Termination clauses are tricky, even for cause.

September 10th, 2019

Going to Court can be costly. It is very important to understand how these costs will end up being paid and who will end up paying them.

September 3rd, 2019

Going to Court can be costly. It is very important to understand how these costs will end up being paid and who will end up paying them.

April 27th, 2019

Employers should review benefits and pension coverage/options to ensure no breach of human rights and stay compliant in terms of age discrimination issues.

April 11th, 2019

This article helps employers draft better termination clauses, and employees agree to better employment terms. Protect your legal rights at termination.

January 15th, 2019

Q&A with Toronto lawyer and business litigator Tina Lee

August 14th, 2017

Employees cannot be discriminated against at the workplace because of family status, accommodation may be required under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

July 24th, 2017

Employees, contract workers, and partners who are dismissed or terminated from employment without cause have rights to severance, notice, or pay in lieu.

July 17th, 2017

Losing your job is stressful. The employee has the right to take the time needed to learn severance related rights, and to decide to negotiate or not.

July 10th, 2017

Employee files a workplace harassment complaint. What are basics on the process? What typically happens after? Is your workplace equipped for it?

July 5th, 2017

Offer letters can be a powerful human resources tool, for employers to effectively manage employees and for employees to enjoy benefits. Tips on how.

December 31st, 1969

Employees entitled to severance have a corresponding legal obligation to look for a job, or, mitigate. Failure to mitigate may reduce the severance.

December 31st, 1969

Human rights and anti discrimination laws at the workplace are fundamental . What are the protected grounds, bona fide requirements, duty to accommodate?

December 31st, 1969

Your employer must provide accommodation at the workplace if you have a physical or mental disability. Ensure your human rights are not violated.

December 31st, 1969

Knowing what your "status" is critical as a first step in enforcing severance rights that you may be entitled to, and, meeting obligations such as taxes.