Special thanks to our former summer associate Thanusa Sounthararajah for contributing to this update.
On July 1, 2023, the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA“), was amended to require temporary help agencies (“THAs“) and recruiters to obtain a license to operate in Ontario as of January 1, 2024. In addition, the Ontario
Under the Ontario Employment Standards Act (“ESA”), employers with a payroll of at least $2.5 million are required to provide statutory severance pay when dismissing an employee with 5 or more years of service. But how is an employer’s “payroll” actually calculated?
Over the years, there have been conflicting decisions around the calculation of the
In a recent decision, the British Columbia Supreme Court (“BC Court“) ruled that Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”) payments earned during the notice period would be deducted from wrongful dismissal damages. This decision stands in stark contrast to that recently issued in Ontario, where the Superior Court of Justice (“Ontario Court“)
Many in the employer community were surprised by three recent cases (here, here and here) in which the Ontario courts struck down termination clauses in employment contracts for the failure to specifically reference the continuation of benefits through the statutory notice period under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA“). The termination clauses in the employment contracts at issue in these cases appeared, on their face, to be valid and enforceable in light of the prevailing legal principles and existing case law.
Continue Reading Is Freedom of Contract Dead in Canadian Employment Law? Termination Clauses and Benefits Continuation Through the Notice Period
