We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming event series, featuring a range of sessions in Canada and across North America.
In our 75-minute Canadian Employer Update webinar, we will bring you up to speed on major developments like Ontario’s ‘Working for Workers’ legislation, managing pay transparency obligations across Canada, significant case law
In the recent case of Bertsch v. Datastealth Inc., 2024 ONSC 5593 (Bertsch), an Ontario court upheld a termination provision that did not specify every detail. While recent decisions suggest that such provisions may have to be flawless to be enforceable, Bertsch is a welcome decision showing that employers do not necessarily have to meet that high bar to protect themselves.
Bertsch reminds employers of the importance of including clear and compliant termination provisions in employment agreements. Ontario employers should review their agreements to ensure they meet the requirements of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 to avoid potential legal challenges. Employers should continue to confirm their termination provisions are:
Bertsch demonstrates that while courts will continue to closely scrutinize termination provisions in employment agreements, employers must only ensure that the provisions are legal and unambiguous. This provides some relief for Ontario’s employers by indicating that they do not necessarily have to rely on “perfect” termination clauses that reference all scenarios and laws in their employment agreements to enforce them.
Even with this positive decision for employers, we continue to encourage all Canadian employers to assess the enforceability of termination provisions in existing employment agreements.Continue Reading Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Excellent: Ontario Court Validates Termination Clause that is Unambiguous and Legal
In this 75-minute “quick hits” style session, our team provided practical advice to Canadian in-house counsel and human resources leaders and addressed what to keep top-of-mind for 2024.
Among other topics, we discussed:
Special thanks to our Baker McKenzie speakers Jim Holloway, Theo Ling and Usman Sheikh, and Industry Leaders Mark Crestohl, Senior Counsel, Accenture, Diana Drappel, Assistant General Counsel, Royal Bank of Canada, Levin Karg, Manager, Ontario Securities Commission, and Raees Nakhuda, Senior Counsel, Thomson Reuters.
Baker McKenzie is pleased to invite you to a breakfast symposium
Special thanks to co-presenters, Krissy Katzenstein and Kaitlin Thompson.
With a surge in layoffs taking place over the past year, many of those originally hired to diversify the workplace have been impacted, and studies show that inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) professionals have been affected by layoffs at a higher rate than others. The
Special thanks to Sarah Adler, Immigration Legal Counsel.
Our webinar was designed to bring Canadian in-house counsel and human resources leaders up to speed on the top labour, employment and human rights law developments of 2022 and to prepare them for what’s on the horizon in 2023.
Using our “quick hits” format, we
The new year brings new challenges for employers. Join us as we take stock of changes over the last year and strategize for what’s on the horizon.
In our 75-minute “quick hits” format, we’ll help Canadian in-house counsel and human resources leaders track what to keep top-of-mind for 2023. We’ll also provide practical takeaways to help
In light of recent social justice movements, businesses are increasingly aware of issues pertaining to diversity and inclusion, making it essential for employers to take proactive steps to address inequality in the workplace. Our presenters explore how to set up special programs under human rights legislation, and discuss best practices for advancing substantive equality in
As COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available across Canada, employers have questions about how this changes the return to the workplace. In this Quick Chat video, our Labour and Employment lawyers discuss the vaccine policies and procedures being adopted by companies operating in Canada, as well as the legal and practical considerations to address.
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Following almost a year of uncertainty, the Ontario Superior Court finally clarified that temporary layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic can amount to constructive dismissal under the common-law. Ontario employers should take note of this important decision if they have or are considering temporary staffing cuts, including temporary reductions in hours.
Continue Reading COVID Layoffs Can Lead to Employer Liability, Ontario Court Says
