David Yazbeck Moderates Panel on Workplace Surveillance

On May 31, 2016, David Yazbeck moderated an audio conference for Lancaster House dealing with issues of workplace surveillance, including balancing employee privacy rights with employer rights, conducting computer surveillance at work, and monitoring off-duty social media use. More information about the audio conference is available here.   Read More

Morgan Rowe Presented on Accommodating Disabilities at U of O Law School

On April 6, 2016, Morgan Rowe spoke in the University of Ottawa Law School’s class on Disability Rights Law. She addressed issues related to disability accommodation in employment, education and transportation and also discussed how accommodation processes themselves can create barriers for people with disabilities.   Read More

David Yazbeck Joins Board of Directors for CARFAC

David Yazbeck has joined the Board of Directors for CARFAC, Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des Artistes Canadiens. CARFAC is a certified association representing visual artists across Canada. Read More

David Yazbeck Re-Elected as an Institutional Board Member for the Workers’ History Museum

David Yazbeck was recently re-elected as an Institutional Board Member for the Workers’ History Museum. David’s re-election continues RavenLaw’s long-standing support for the Workers’ History Museum. In addition to David’s role as a Board Member, RavenLaw has been an institutional member of the Board of Directors for a number of years. The Workers’ History Museum was founded in 2011 with the goal of developing and preserving workers’ history, heritage and... Read More

Office Closure for Canada Day

Our office will be closed on Friday, July 1st for Canada Day. Read More

Federal Court of Appeal Confirms that Amounts Earned by a Dismissed Employee are Deductible from a Damages Award due to Mitigation only if they are Referable to the Loss for which the Damages are Awarded

On April 26, 2016, the Federal Court of Appeal rendered its judgment in Bahniuk v Attorney General of Canada, 2016 FCA 127, allowing the appeal from the judgment of the Federal Court and setting aside a portion of a remedial award made by an Adjudicator of the Public Service Labour Relations Board. The appeal related to the Adjudicator’s decision to reduce the award for compensatory damages for unjust termination by... Read More

Kim Patenaude a Feature Volunteer for Reach Canada

Ravenlaw's Kim Patenaude is honored to be a “Featured Volunteer” on the Reach Canada website.  Kim has provided presentations for REACH on various topics such as the Duty to Accommodate and the Respectful Workplace.  Kim 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

Double Jeopardy: Arbitrator Recognizes that Email Criticising Conduct can Constitute Discipline

It is an established principle in labour law that an employer cannot impose more than one penalty for the same offence – but what constitutes a penalty? That was the issue at the heart of Collège Boréal, an arbitral award released on July 23, 2015, where an employee appeared to receive two sanctions for the same event. The grievor was tasked with accompanying college students at a hockey tournament in... Read More

Arbitrator Confirms that Cancellation of Shifts Constitutes a Layoff

In a recent arbitral award, Arbitrator Goodfellow confirmed that the cancellation of two full-time employee’s shifts during temporary slowdowns constituted a layoff within the meaning of the collective agreement. The Arbitrator agreed with the Union, CUPE, Local 139, that the cancellation of shifts was a layoff because it involved a reduction in a full-time employee’s hours of work below the permissible level in the collective agreement. Under this award, the... Read More

Morgan Rowe Interviewed on CBC Radio

On April 1, 2016, Morgan Rowe spoke to CBC Radio about a recent decision by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario that accepted that miscarriage is a disability. In its decision, rendered on March 14, 2016, the Tribunal rejected an employer’s request to have a Human Rights Code complaint dismissed on the basis that the employee had failed to establish the existence of a disability. Morgan represented the employee in... Read More