Dayna Steinfeld Interviewed on Ableism in the Legal Profession

Dayna Steinfeld gave a feature interview to the Law Society of Manitoba’s Equity Officer on ableism and disability discrimination in the legal profession for the December issue of the Communiqué newsletter. Focusing on human rights in hiring and in practice in the legal profession, Dayna answered common questions that arise for lawyers as employers and employees. Dayna’s interview is available here. 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

Is My Termination Clause Invalid? Conflicting Case Law In The Ontario Courts

Recent decisions in the Ontario courts have created uncertainty for Ontario workers as to whether the termination clauses in their contracts are valid or not. Many employment contracts contain a sentence that reads something like this: c) Termination by the Company for Just Cause – The Company has the right, at any time and without notice, to terminate your employment under this Agreement for just cause. Under this provision, if... Read More

Ontario Announces Legislation for More Workplace Policies

Wassim Garzouzi speaks to Ottawa Morning with Robyn Bresnahan on the Ontario Government’s proposed amendments to the Employment Standards Act, specifically as they relate to the right to disconnect. [audio mp3="https://ravenlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/raven-law-mp3.mp3"][/audio] Read More

Jessica Greenwood to Present on Employment Issues During COVID-19

On September 24, 2021, Jessica Greenwood will be speaking at the Kingston and the Thousand Islands Legal Conference. Jessica will be part of a panel addressing employment issues in the face of COVID-19, focusing particularly on Infectious Disease Emergency Leave and vaccines. The conference is being held virtually again this year. For more information or to register, please visit the conference website. Read More

Andrew Astritis Presents on Tort Law in the Workplace

On September 13, 2021, Andrew Astritis presented on the overlapping areas of tort law and labour law as part of Lancaster House’s “Torts Illustrated” webinar. The webinar explored a range of issues, including the authority of labour arbitrators to award remedies for the kinds of wrongdoing and misconduct that are covered by tort law. Andrew’s panel also spoke about the establishment of new torts protecting privacy rights and the rules around when an... Read More

James Cameron Presents on LTD Issues in Employment Law Cases

On September 23, 2021, James Cameron presented as part of the County of Carleton Law Association’s second virtual Six-Minute Employment Lawyer update. James presented on the interconnections between Long-Term Disability claims, the duty to accommodate disabilities in the workplace, and wrongful dismissal cases. Read More

Employers’ Total Payroll Determines Severance Entitlement in Ontario

In a significant win for workers in Ontario, the Divisional Court held that the obligation to provide severance pay under the Employment Standards Act (ESA) applies to all employers with a global payroll of $2.5 million, even if their payroll in Ontario is below that threshold. The landmark decision in Hawkes v. Max Aicher (North America) Limited means that multinational companies with small Ontario payrolls cannot use the small Ontario... Read More

Terminated while pregnant? You may be entitled to a longer notice period

Losing your job is an incredibly stressful event, even more so if you are pregnant. A recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court offers some comfort to pregnant employees who are terminated, by ruling that pregnancy can be a factor in assessing the appropriate length of a reasonable notice owed to a terminated employee. Employees are entitled to reasonable notice of termination (either working notice, where you continue to work... Read More

Morgan Rowe Presents on Emerging Human Rights Issues

On September 27, 2021, Morgan Rowe spoke to the University of Ottawa – Faculty of Common Law’s “Human Rights” class, as part of the class on emerging topics in human rights. Her presentation focused on topics related to sexual orientation, asexuality, and the regulation of personal relationships. Read More