Court Rules Constructive Dismissal for Employees Laid Off for Covid-19
Court Rules Constructive Dismissal for Employees Laid Off for Covid-19 Ontario courts continue to provide guidance with respect to layoffs caused by Covid-19. In the recently released decision of Ristanovic v. Corma Inc., 2021 ONSC 3351, Justice Dunphy held that two employees who were laid off at the onset of Covid-19 had been constructively dismissed. […]
The Impact of Pregnancy on Notice Periods
The Impact of Pregnancy on Notice Periods: Nahum v. Honeycomb Hospitality Inc The Ontario Superior Court’s recent decision in Nahum v. Honeycomb Hospitality Inc. demonstrates the impact that pregnancy can have on assessing reasonable notice owed to employees terminated on a without cause basis. While the often cited Bardal factors (i.e., an employee’s length of […]
IDEL Layoffs Constitute a Constructive Dismissal
IDEL Layoffs Constitute a Constructive Dismissal – Important Update from the Ontario Superior Court Since the introduction of the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave in May 2020, there has been great speculation as to its impact on the ability of employees who have been laid off due to COVID-19 to claim constructive dismissal. Pre-pandemic, most layoffs would constitute […]
The Costly Consequences of Failing to Abide by Termination Clauses
The Costly Consequences of Failing to Abide by Termination Clauses A recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court, Perretta v. Rand A Technology Corporation, 2021 ONSC 2111, demonstrates that even the most binding and enforceable termination clauses can be voided by employer conduct. The Plaintiff, Ms. Perretta, was terminated in 2018 after 5.5 years of […]
The Costly Consequences of an Improper Workplace Investigation
ONSC Reminds Employers of the Costly Consequences of an Improper Workplace Investigation A recently released decision by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice serves as a sobering reminder to employers of the high threshold of misconduct which must be met before an employee can successfully be terminated for cause, as well as the importance of […]
Call Me By My Name: The Cultural Significance of Names in the Workplace
Call Me By My Name: The Cultural Significance of Names in the Workplace Dale Carnegie once said “a person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” There is a great deal of truth to this. Being addressed by our name does more for us than elicit an […]
Stage 2 of Ontario’s Framework for Reopening the Province
Stage 2 of Ontario’s Framework for Reopening the Province On June 8, 2020, Premier Doug Ford announced that Ontario will be taking a regional approach to move into stage 2 of reopening the province. Specifically, many regions at the outskirts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be able to move into stage 2 as […]
Employment Standards Act Regulation
Employment Standards Act Amendment – June 2, 2020 Reg. 228/20, Infectious Disease Emergency Leave On May 29, 2020, the Ontario Government passed a Regulation under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”) which confirms that, among other things, temporary reductions and/or changes in hours/wages due to COVID-19, or temporary layoffs due to COVID-19 that […]
The Court Provides Further Clarity on the Employee’s Duty to Mitigate Damages When Offered Re-Employment
In Gent v Strone, the Court found that the Defendant employer had constructively dismissed the Plaintiff employee upon the commencement of a temporary lay off – due to the absence of an enforceable Employment Agreement permitting them to do so. However, the Court indicated that the employee had, in turn, acted unreasonably and consequently, failed […]
Ontario Superior Court Indicates that Notice Awards are on the Rise
For years, the conventional belief was that 24 months was the upper limit for common law notice awards in Ontario. However, in a recent case, Dawe v Equitable Life Insurance Company, the Plaintiff, Mr. Dawe, was not only awarded with a massive 30-month notice period, but the Justice speaking for the court in this case […]