Everything but those Two Little Words: The Truth Behind Constructive Dismissal
On his hit television show The Apprentice, business mogul Donald Trump turned the words “you’re fired” into a novelty catch phrase. In reality though, these are likely the two most difficult words any employee could hear. Work is one of the most important relationships in people’s lives, and the end of that relationship can be […]
American Apparel Dismisses Its Canadian Bad Boy: How Sexual Harassment Can Put a Company in Peril
A recent shake-up at American Apparel saw CEO and founder Dov Charney ousted from the company amidst a damning history of sexual harassment scandals. Scandal is old hat for Charney; he’s been plagued with claims of bizarre and inappropriate behavior since a peculiar interview with Jane magazine over a decade ago, and he has faced […]
Helpless No More: The Potential Change for Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Coverage for Workplace Bullying
There is new light at the end of the tunnel for employees suffering from acute workplace stress. In a recent decision, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) allowed an appeal from an employee who was claiming mental disability from a workplace bullying situation. This is a marked change from prior policy of the […]
Missing Your Child’s Recital? Where the Law Strikes a Balance between Workplace and Childcare Obligations
Earlier this month, the Federal Court of Appeal firmly decided in Johnstone v Canada (Border Services) the meaning of ‘family status’. Family status is a prohibited ground of discrimination under both the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act, which means treating someone differently based on their family status is illegal. But […]
No Place for Discrimination: Workplace Harassment and What to Watch For
Even if you don’t follow the NBA, you’ve probably heard about the LA Clippers lately, and the story of their disgraced owner Donald Sterling. Sterling was heavily fined and banned for life by the league late last month after he was revealed to have made offensive and racist comments about who he didn’t want his […]
Hiring an Intern this Summer?
Last month, two of Canada’s highest profile magazines (The Walrus and Toronto Life) were advised by the Ontario Ministry of Labour to immediately end their internship programs after complaints about unfair labour practices (read more here). For many companies, summer “internship” programs are about to kick off. Before they do, employers should find out if […]
Walking the Termination Tightrope: A Toolkit for Terminations
Last week, Rodney Employment Law tweeted about an employee who went on a stabbing rampaging in a Toronto office after finding out he was fired from the company. Chuang “Ray” Li, 47, from Mississauga is now facing three counts of attempted murder, four counts of aggravated assault and four counts of assault with a weapon, […]
The Olympic Aftermath: How to Work like a Pro
As the 2014 Winter Olympics came to a close, it was a great opportunity to reflect on how the Canadian Olympic experience can relate to the workplace. Olympians use training plans and visualization techniques, in an effort to control the great pressure and picture exactly how they want to carry out a race. They train […]
Is this a Family Day Long Weekend for You?
Since it’s the third Monday of February and Family Day is upon us, here’s a brief overview of public or statutory holidays in Ontario. Do you know how many public holidays there are in Ontario? Family Day is the newest public holiday. Others include: New Year’s Day Family Day Good Friday Victoria Day Canada Day Labour Day […]
The ESA: Why Comply
A few days ago, the Toronto Star reported that a group of about 50 immigrant workers have claimed their employer, a Chinese restaurant chain paid them below minimum wage and owed them $300,000 in salaries and benefits. Most of the workers say they worked at or below minimum wage, often for more than 50 hours per week without […]