Will new pay transparency rules help to eliminate the wage gap?

[RavenLaw gratefully acknowledges the contribution of this post by articling student Kundera Provost-Yombo] In January 2021, the Government of Canada implemented amendments to the Employment Equity Regulations that imposed disclosure obligations to on federally regulated private sector workplaces. These new measures will make salaries publicly available, and help to identify wage gaps experienced by women, indigenous people, members of visible minorities, and people with disabilities. The key question is –... Read More

Congratulations to David Yazbeck on his new role at PIPSC!

As many of our friends and colleagues in the labour community may already know, David Yazbeck has left private practice at RavenLaw to work within the labour movement as the Director, National Labour Relations, at PIPSC. David has a long history representing PIPSC and its members, championing human rights and whistleblower protections in numerous precedent-setting cases on the union’s behalf. This is an exciting opportunity for David to continue to... Read More

Morgan Rowe Presents on Queerness and the Legal Workplace

On February 9, 2022, Morgan Rowe presented as part of a panel on “Queerness and the Legal Workplace”, hosted by OUTLaw and the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law. Morgan and the panel discussed common issues that LGBTQ+ lawyers and law students encounter in the legal profession and how to navigate those issues. Read More

Dayna Steinfeld Presents on Labour Law in Manitoba

On February 7, 2022, Dayna Steinfeld presented a lecture on “Labour Lawyering in Manitoba” to the University of Manitoba’s Robson Hall law school upper-year labour law class. Dayna discussed common issues under the Manitoba Labour Relations Act that labour lawyers in the province encounter in their practice, from the perspective of a union-side labour lawyer. Read More

RavenLaw Hosts Conference on Mental Health During COVID

On March 4, 2022, James Cameron, Kim Patenaude, and Raphaelle Laframboise-Carignan hosted a virtual conference on “Mental Health in the Time of COVID: Fostering Wellness for Yourself and Your Clients.”The conference started off with an interactive webinar by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Our lawyers then discussed the unique details of making and dealing with disability accommodation requests and long-term disability benefits applications during COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

Is My Non-Complete Clause Void?

By Simcha Walfish In Fall 2021, the Government of Ontario introduced the Working for Workers Act, which included a new prohibition on non-compete clauses. The Minister of Labour provided the following rationale:  While these agreements are almost never legally enforceable, employers often use them to intimidate their workers. These agreements generally say that a worker can’t seek opportunities at other companies in the same field for a period of time... Read More

No Free Work

RavenLaw supports liveable wages for all employees, including articling students. As employees, articling students are entitled to compensation for the valuable work they perform in law firms, organizations, and public employers across Ontario. We have written to the LSO Benchers to express our firm’s position that articling students should be provided with a liveable wage for their work and, in the alternative, no less than the bare minimum pay outlined... Read More

Raphaëlle Laframboise-Carignan to Present on Accommodation and Disability Benefits

On March 22, 2022, Raphaëlle Laframboise-Carignan will present as part of a speakers’ night series being held by Mood Disorders Ottawa. Raphaëlle will be discussing workplace accommodations, long-term disability (LTD) benefits, and other disability benefits available when a person cannot work due to injury or illness. For more information on this upcoming presentation, please visit the event website. Read More

RavenLaw Attends UOttawa Career Connections Events

During the week of March 14, 2022, RavenLaw represented the firm at the 2022 uOttawa Career Connections event, held virtually. Morgan Rowe, Zachary Rodgers, Claire Michela, and Simcha Walfish participated in panels, roundtables, and meet and greet events with law students and particularly spoke about their work representing unions and employees. Thank you to the organizers for putting on this great event, and thank you to the uOttawa students for your engagement and enthusiasm!... Read More

Manitoba Employment Standards Code – What You Need to Know

By Dayna Steinfeld In Manitoba, The Employment Standards Code (“ESC”) establishes basic and minimum rights and standards for provincial employees. Where the ESC applies to a worker’s job, these rights and standards are mandatory. This kind of legislation is not unique to Manitoba. Employment standards statutes are found in every province and in the federal jurisdiction, and there are many general similarities between the Manitoba ESC and legislation in other... Read More