By Erin Brandt. Updated April 21, 2017 (Originally posted March 31, 2017) Gender-based dress codes have lately become a media “hot topic”. In March, I joined the public discussion when I spoke to CBC’s Andrew Chang about BC Green party leader Andrew Weaver’s proposal to outlaw high heels in the workplace. Much of the focus in […]
Archive | Contracts
Bonuses: A Reward for Performance or Retention?
In his latest case law update, Richard Johnson discusses what happens when a bonus is tied not just to performance, but also retention.
The Power of a Well-Written Bonus Plan: Bois v. MD Physician Services
By Richard Johnson. A recent decision from the Ontario Supreme Court of Justice serves as a strong reminder to both employers and employees about the importance of well-drafted written employment terms. The terms at issue in Bois v. MD Physician Services Inc. related to the plaintiff’s bonus, and meant the difference between a significant incentive […]
Fixed-Term Employment: Manage the Risks and Respect Your Employees
Some employment contracts specify an end date, some don’t. Why do employers choose one or the other? At the end of the day, is there any difference?
Workations: A Path Towards Sustainable Employment?
Workations as a concept are nothing new. Employees, executives and business owners brought paperwork with them on holiday and maintained remote contact with the office long before we entered the Digital Age.
Probation: Why Bother?
We’ve weighed in previously on the issue of probationary employment and employers’ duties – and employees’ rights – in that context. A recent BC Supreme Court decision inspired us to consider the issue from a different perspective. Put simply: Are probationary periods necessary or advisable?
The High Cost of Workplace Abuse
Contributor, Richard Johnson. Earlier this year, the Ontario Court of Appeal made an example of Mississauga employer Applied Consumer and Clinical Evaluations (ACCE ) when it ordered it to pay former employee Vicky Struckwick almost a quarter million dollars as compensation for her dismissal and the “campaign of abuse” she suffered in the workplace. The […]
Sustainable Employment Contracts: Clear, Transparent, and Collaborative
We’ve written elsewhere about the importance of employers creating Sustainable Employment™ relationships with their employees, by which we mean relationships that are lasting, beneficial, and meaningful for everyone involved. As nice as that sounds, though, what does this look like in practice? To help translate theory into reality, we’re always on the lookout for real-life examples […]
Employers, it’s Time to Stress-Test your Employment Contracts
Employment contracts are serious business. Have you stress-tested yours lately? In the case of Alsip v. Top Rollshutters Inc. dba Talius , the employer’s loosely drafted employment contract and failure to discuss key employment terms with a new employee before hiring resulted in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit, and a court order that the employer pay […]
Fixed-Term Employment Contracts: What Are the Risks for Employers?
With contributions by Erin Brandt (nee Kizell), Lawyer. Some employment contracts specify an employment end date, and others don’t. Why should employers choose one or the other? At the end of the day, is there really any difference? Often, an employer and employee will enter into their new working relationship hopefully, with the expectation that […]
