(Originally published 2015. Updated November 2019) Richard Johnson, Contributor. As we’ve explained elsewhere in this blog, unless there is a termination clause in her employment contract, the amount of notice or severance a dismissed employee is entitled to depends on several factors, namely: The nature of her employment Her length of service Her age The […]
Tag Archives | employer

Can – and Should – Employers “Ban” After-Hours Work Email?
(First published May 2014. Updated June 2019.) Do you expect your employees to read and respond to work-related email after hours or on weekends? Or do you encourage your staff to “disconnect” once they leave the office? Some countries, like France, adopted laws that grants employees the legal right to ignore work emails outside […]

Employer Reference Letters: What Are You Afraid Of?
(Originally published January 2015, updated with video March 2019.) When it comes to writing reference letters, the current employer mindset seems to be “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all” – also known as Thumper’s Rule. Some employment lawyers have echoed this advice. It seems that an almost paralyzing fear of […]

Erin Brandt at Yukon Legal Symposium (Nov 2018)
Join Erin Brandt at CPHR’s Yukon Legal Symposium 2018 in Whitehorse to learn how labour and employment law is continuously changing and evolving.

David Brown and Tifffany Zanatta Speak at CPHR Legal Symposium (June 2018)
Join David Brown and Tiffany Zanatta to get a clear view with expert commentary that is practical and relevant to Human Resources professionals and business leaders.

Erin Brandt and Heidi Eaves at CPHR Legal Symposium (January 2018)
Join Erin Brandt and Heidi Eaves at CPHR’s Legal Symposium 2018 in Vancouver to explore how the issues we face today interact with our current legal landscape.

Severance liability, bad faith damages result of employer’s ambiguous standards (The Lawyer’s Daily)
Richard Johnson lends his insight on the Cottrill v. Utopia Day Spas and Salons Ltd. case relating to aggravated/bad faith damages in Lawyers Daily.

Kent Lawyer Quoted in Lawyers Daily: Bill 177
Richard Johnson lends his insight on the recent legislative changes around Domestic Violence Leave in Lawyers Daily.

Employment Standards: Why Ignorance is Not Bliss for Employers
Lawyer Erin Brandt (nee Kizell), Contributor. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Lawyers know this idiom well, since it’s one of the first things taught in law school. Unfortunately, some non-lawyers are not familiar with it and, even when they are, may not have a full understanding of its implications. A group of Ontario […]
Heather Hettiarachchi writes about Holiday Party Liability for Small Business BC
In this December 2015 article, Heather Hettiarachchi offers tips to employers on how to minimize the risk of alcohol-related liability during the holiday season.