Labour reforms sought for gig economy workers By Hayley Woodin, Business in Vancouver, April 6, 2021 As it faces a potential $400 million class action lawsuit in Ontario on the issue of driver classification, Uber last month announced what it called a modern approach to supporting app-based workers. Find out what employment lawyer Fiona McFarlane […]
Archive | Blog
New Zealand’s Miscarriage Bereavement Bill is a leap forward—but maybe not how you think? How Canada Compares
By Stephanie Cousineau and Kim Darling. Last week, New Zealand made headlines when Parliament unanimously passed the Miscarriage Bereavement Bill, giving mothers and their partners three days’ bereavement leave after pregnancy ends from miscarriage or stillbirth. Previously, paid leave was available in New Zealand for a stillbirth (i.e., after 20 weeks’ gestation) – now, it […]
Interns and Volunteers: Beware of “Free” Labour
By Wendy Woloshyn. Several years ago, we wrote a blog post on what we termed the “perils” of unpaid internships. The topic was particularly…topical at the time (2014), as the Canadian Press then reported that unpaid internships were “on the rise in Canada, with some organizations estimating…as many as 300,000 people currently working for free […]
Recap: Virtual Employer Forum – The What, Why and How of Workplace Policies
For our February Employer Forum, we turned our attention to workplace policies: What are they, why do you need them, and how should you put them into place? KEL lawyers Fiona McFarlane and Stephanie Cousineau led the discussion, which included a review of the relevant legislation and certain key common law principles, and an introduction […]
Non-Competition Covenants: Cautions for Employers
By Ryan Macklon and Wendy Woloshyn. Many employment contracts contain clauses known as restrictive covenants. The most well-known of these are non-competition clauses, which prohibit an employee from competing with their ex-employer’s business after the employment contract is terminated. (Non-solicitation and non-disclosure or confidentiality clauses are the two other categories of restrictive covenants that are […]
Can your Employer Call the Shot? The Question of Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccines and the Workplace
By Stephanie Cousineau and Kim Darling. In December 2020, the first person in Canada received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. So began Stage 1 of the vaccine rollout, during which the government expects over 5 million people will be vaccinated. Another 12 million are expected to get their shots during Stage 2 (between […]
Recap: Virtual Employer Forum – Employment Contracts in the time of COVID-19
By Wendy Woloshyn. Last month, Kent Employment Law hosted its first Virtual Employer Forum of 2021. The topic? Employment contracts in the time of COVID-19. KEL lawyers Fiona McFarlane and Simon Kent reviewed the basics, highlighting several key issues for employers to consider when it comes to contracting with their employees, including overtime, layoffs, non-competition […]
Federal and BC Government Response to COVID-19: Fact Sheet for Employers and Employees
Updated February 1, 2021. The following Fact Sheet compiles information found on government websites relating to the key financial programs and initiatives that the Canadian and BC governments have implemented in response to the COVID-19 crisis. A. Federal Government Programs Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Temporary Changes to Canada Summer Jobs program Canada Emergency Business Account […]
We’re Hiring in Surrey!
Kent Employment Law is an established, forward-thinking employment law firm with offices in Vancouver, Kelowna, Surrey and Victoria, BC. We offer a competitive compensation package which combines an annual salary with an incentive component to recognize our team members’ commitment to our clients and contribution to the firm. Our Surrey office is expanding and we […]
Mandatory Workplace Vaccinations (David Mardiros speaks to Surrey Now-Leader)
Employers might be able to require COVID-19 vaccination from employees: B.C. lawyer By Sarah Grochowski, Surrey Now-Leader, January 24, 2021 With COVID-19 vaccines expected to reach the masses in July, questions are being raised as to whether employers in B.C. will take a step further and require worker immunization. As Kent Employment Law’s David Mardiros […]
