Keep the Receipts: Dismissed Employee awarded $45,000 for job search expenses

Keep the Receipts: Dismissed Employee awarded $45,000 for job search expenses

Most people understand that if they lose their job, they have a right to receive severance from their employer. Generally speaking, what reflects fair severance for a person will depend on a number of factors such as whether the individual has a written employment contract, their age, their tenure of service, their formal education and the availability of comparable jobs in the local market.

Sober, Safe and Productive Workplaces: Managing the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana

Sober, Safe and Productive Workplaces: Managing the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana

The pending legalization of recreational marijuana is a source of frequent debate and significant public interest. It has also raised concerns for employers as to how legalization may impact their workplaces and what steps may be taken to protect staff, ensure safety and avoid loss of productivity.

Provincial Election 2018: Do employees get paid time off on June 7 to vote?

Provincial Election 2018: Do employees get paid time off on June 7 to vote?

The provincial election campaign is in full swing. Attack ads are on TV, the debates have taken place and politicians of every stripe are pounding the pavement and knocking on doors to boost their hopes of election.

As we approach June 7, many of us who work may wonder whether we will get time off to head to the polls, and if so, how much and will such leave be paid? The Ontario Election Act provides eligible employees with three consecutive hours during voting hours (which are 9:00am to 9:00pm Eastern Standard Time) to go and vote.

Q&A: Temporary Lay-Offs from Work

Q&A: Temporary Lay-Offs from Work

Q&A is a recurring series on the Vey Willetts LLP blog. The aim is to provide quick answers to questions we commonly encounter in our day-to-day practice of employment law. In this edition, we focus on temporary lay-offs from work.


Tips on the right way to fire employees in Ontario

Tips on the right way to fire employees in Ontario

Dismissing an employee is not a pleasant experience. But whether you like it or not, this is one task that most businesses will encounter at some point. As President Trump reminded us again this week after reports surfaced that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson learned of his firing by way of a twitter post, there is both a right way and a wrong way to conduct employee terminations.

Commitment to “comply with statute” not enough to displace common law rights on termination

Commitment to “comply with statute” not enough to displace common law rights on termination

Last month, the Court of Appeal for Ontario released its decision in Nemeth v. Hatch Ltd. garnering a lot of attention within the province’s employment law bar.

The Steve Paikin Case: Tips for Employers in Responding to Allegations of Sexual Harassment

The Steve Paikin Case: Tips for Employers in Responding to Allegations of Sexual Harassment

Since allegations related to Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein first became public, the #metoo movement has provided a catalyst for society to confront its handling of sexual harassment. Just this week, the latest public figure to be embroiled in such allegations is Steve Paikin, a prominent journalist employed by the provincially-funded broadcaster TVOntario (“TVO”).

Q&A: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Q&A: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Q&A is a recurring series on the Vey Willetts LLP blog. The aim is to provide quick answers to questions we commonly encounter in our day-to-day practice of employment law. In this edition, we focus on sexual harassment in the workplace.