Morgan Rowe to Present on Accommodating Clients with Disabilities

On September 25, 2018, Morgan Rowe will present as part of a CCLA panel on “Effectively Collaborating with, and Representing, Persons with Disabilities”. The panel will discuss issues which arise for lawyers relating to professionalism, disability identity and perception, and how to ensure greater inclusivity for people with disabilities when providing legal services. For more information or to register, please visit the conference’s event page. Read More

RavenLaw Appears Before Supreme Court on Pay Equity Challenge

On October 31, 2017, RavenLaw appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada to argue in support of a Charter challenge to certain restrictive portions of Québec’s pay equity legislation. In particular, in 2009, the Québec government made changes to its pay equity law which required employers to review their wage rates every five years to determine whether changes to wages had resulted in wage discrimination. However, the 2009 amendments to... Read More

Federal Court of Appeal Upholds Employee Grievance Rights

In a recent decision, the Federal Court of Appeal conclusively determined that federal public service adjudicators may hear and decide on cases where the Federal Government revokes an employee’s reliability status and then terminates her for the loss of that status. The adjudicator in the case at hand had found that the employer did not have a legitimate concern that the Grievor posed a security risk when it decided to... Read More

RavenLaw Appears Before Supreme Court on Pay Equity Challenge

On October 31, 2017, RavenLaw appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada to argue in support of a Charter challenge to certain restrictive portions of Québec’s pay equity legislation. In particular, in 2009, the Québec government made changes to its pay equity law which required employers to review their wage rates every five years to determine whether changes to wages had resulted in wage discrimination. However, the 2009 amendments to... Read More

Canadian Human Rights Commission decision on medicinal marijuana case overturned for a second time

For the second time, a decision of the Canadian Human Rights Commission to dismiss a complaint regarding discrimination related to medicinal marijuana has been set aside by the courts. In McIlvenna v Bank of Nova Scotia, the Federal Court found that the Commission breached its duty of fairness and ignored obviously crucial evidence supporting a complaint that Scotiabank had called in a mortgage because of the presence of medicinal marijuana... Read More

RavenLaw Supports the Workers’ Bowl

On November 4, 2017, RavenLaw participated in the 6th annual Workers’ Bowl, an annual fundraiser in Toronto for the Workers’ Action Centre, a worker-based organization that advocates for fair working conditions for vulnerable workers. The Workers’ Action Centre has a Workers’ Rights Info Line that workers can call for support, offers workshops on workers’ rights and is part of the campaign to raise the minimum wage to $15. The bowling... Read More

You Can’t Take It With You: Good Faith and Fiduciary Duties of Departing Employees

In a recent decision, the Ontario Superior Court affirmed that departing employees can owe a duty of good faith and a fiduciary duty to their former employer, and a violation of those duties can give rise to a significant damages award. This decision marks an important reminder to employees regarding their obligations when leaving their employment. Background The Prim8 Group Inc. is a communications agency who hired Richard Tisi, initially... Read More

Michael Fisher Presented at Human Rights and Labour Law Conference

On November 8, 2017, Michael Fisher spoke as part of the panel “Fitness to Work: Ensuring a Safe Work Environment in an Era of Marijuana, Opioids, and Other Drugs,” at Lancaster House’s Human Rights and Labour Law Conference in Ottawa. The panel focused on the common misperceptions on the use of medical marijuana and other drugs, impairment testing in safety sensitive workplaces, an employee’s duty to disclose their use of... Read More

Federal Labour Board Affirms Statutory Freeze Principles During Collective Bargaining

In a pair of recent decisions, the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board confirmed the broad and purposive approach to the statutory freeze on terms and conditions of employment during collective bargaining. In Public Service Alliance of Canada v Treasury Board (Correctional Service Canada) and Public Service Alliance of Canada v Canada Revenue Agency, the Board found that the employer had violated the freeze by altering terms and... Read More

Morgan Rowe Featured as a REACH Canada Volunteer

Morgan Rowe is honored to be a “Featured Volunteer” on the REACH Canada website.  Morgan has volunteered with REACH as part of its pilot project providing legal information clinics to individuals with disabilities in Ottawa.  Morgan also provides pro bono legal services through REACH’s lawyer referral service.  REACH has provided this service and public education for individuals living with disabilities since 1981. RavenLaw is a long-term, proud supporter of REACH. Read More