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 […]
Archive | Kim’s Blog

New Zealand’s Miscarriage Bereavement Bill is a leap forward—but maybe not how you think? How Canada Compares

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 […]

Pronouns in the Workplace: It’s Easier Than You Think
By Kim Darling (she/her). The Courts of BC recently announced a requirement for all people in attendance to introduce themselves to the Court indicating their preferred pronouns and titles. I happened to be in court on the first day this was in effect. All three counsel, myself included, gave the Court our new form of […]

CapriCMW Webinar Series for Employers Now Online
Join Kent Employment Law’s Kim Darling and Tanja Halsall of Potentia HR for a discussion on the practical considerations for managing your risk and engaging with your employees during these unprecedented times.

It’s Not Me, it’s You: Probation FAQs
By Kimberly Darling and Wendy Woloshyn. (Originally posted December 2018, updated February 2020) We have considered probation a number of times previously on our blog, usually from the point of view of the employer. In this post, we’re going back to basics, with what we’re calling “Probation FAQs” for employers and employees. What is probation? […]

Kimberly Darling Speaking at EnCompass Benefits & HR Solutions Inc. (Oct 2018)
Kimberly Darling will be speaking at EnCompass Benefits & HR Solutions Inc. about how to draft a good cannabis in the workplace policy.

Back to Work, Post-Divorce
If separation and/or divorce happens while one parent is still at home, this will likely result in an earlier-than-intended return to the workforce due to financial necessity.

Four Questions Employees Should Ask Their Employment Lawyer
By Kimberly Darling. If you find yourself needing to consult an employment lawyer, there are a number of important questions you should be asking in that first meeting. 1. What are my rights as an employee? This really should be your first question. Non-unionized employees may have a written employment contract that sets out the […]