Are you concerned about employment law in Canada and how it will affect your business? Or maybe you are an employee and you are looking to book a consultation with an employment lawyer.

There are a few things to talk about in terms of the obligations of the employer. There are accommodation issues under the human rights code.

Wrongful Dismissal Employment Law Help

The Worker’s compensation act doesn’t always say what a company act should do in every situation. It does however lay out what a company should do in general.

It says that a company must be able to provide a safe environment for its staff. During COVID-19, the BC government announced a state of emergency.

Suddenly, companies had to comply with orders made by the health authority of the province.

If you need an employment law lawyer in BC, reach out to Davison North Law at 6046297808

Employment Law Canada

Employers were required to create and publish COVID safety plans. There was an interesting element in BC. They also set out a limitation of a liability order.

This limited a company’s liability should a person claim that they were exposed to COVID-19 at a company’s worksite.

However, that limitation of liability applied as long as the company adhered to the safety plan outlined. During COVID-19, BC did not order many businesses to close.

In Ontario, the government forced most businesses to close.

It is easy to say that the company is going to provide a safe workplace. However, how do they balance that with other obligations that the company has? An example of this would be privacy rules that the company must follow.

Employees And Employers and Employment Law

There are some companies that started taking temperature checks. This was to protect staff and clients during the Coronavirus breakout. Many people agreed that these were good steps to take.

However, some people thought that this might violate privacy rights. Many employment lawyers are saying that if a client or staff consent, then there is no privacy issue.

Therefore, many employers are working towards getting consent to get that sort of information. The reason that the company is asking for this information is that they can continue to flatten the curve.

This allows them to create a safe and healthy workplace for all to attend.

Human Resources and Employment Law In Canada

The human rights code doesn’t allow companies to discriminate against people because of their status. They also cannot discriminate based on disability.

An inability to provide child care can fall under family status. If someone cannot go to work because they cannot afford child care, that would trigger family status accommodation.

This can lead to claims against the company. There needs to be a balance between the business and the employee. This comes down to a test of undue hardship.

If an employee is put in a situation where they could be exposed to a virus, and they live with someone who is vulnerable, there can be complications there. This should trigger a discussion between the company and the employee.

Canada Employment Law and Employment Contracts

There was a result amendment to the employment standards act that set-out conditions that allow the employee to go on an unpaid leave of absence. One is an inability to provide child care.

And the other is possible exposure to a virus or bacteria.

After COVID-19, there were many people were laid off. When people started to come back, the question was “Are the employees coming back on the same terms or conditions?”

If they used to work 40 hours per week, they now come back to 30 hours a week. Was the employment contract violated? Is this now a new employment contract?

Was there constructive dismissal? The terms of employment have been changed in a big way. If this happened, the employee can claim that they were terminated.

They likely will be asking for a severance package or notice. They also might want to pay in lieu of notice.

Employment Law In Canada And Employment Equity

The employment standards act says if an employee was laid off for 16 years, the employee’s employment was terminated. That raised the question during COVID if the employees were fired instead of laid off.

Sick pay is often outlined in the employment contract. Many employment agreements will explain sick leave eligibility. If an employee meets those criteria, they should get it.

The main idea of this article is to always do research before taking action.

The worst thing you can do from a legal perspective is to take action, get in trouble, and then reach out to a law firm.

It’s much better to speak to a labour attorney before you get in trouble.

Of course, this isn’t always possible. But it’s something to aim for.

Can I pay my employees less if I make fewer profits?

Usually not. You are required to pay your employees in accordance with the terms of the employment agreement unless the employee is on a permitted temporary layoff or leave of absence under the Employment Standards Act.

Of course, you are always free to enter into a new agreement with different terms of compensation if your employee is willing to do so (but adequate legal consideration should be given to that arrangement to ensure that this is a legal contract).

If you propose to pay your employees less than they ordinarily earn, this may constitute a constructive dismissal (which results in the same type of damages as if the employee had been terminated on a without-cause basis).

I want to get fired, how do I go about it?

If you are in fact “fired” this typically refers to a termination for the cause which will result in no notice, or pay in lieu of notice, owing to the employee.

If you are looking to be “packaged out” you may want to gently approach your employer, or have a lawyer approach your employer.

That can be risky, however, because it may signal that you are in trouble should the employer want to keep you on after you make your request (and the employer may look for ways to get rid of you that do not benefit you).

Also, keep in mind that terminations without cause may be very costly to the employer which may cause reluctance on the part of the employer to offer you a package.

Further, you may have a termination clause in your employment contract which results in little notice to you if you are packaged out.

What are typically grounds for termination of employment?

Frequent grounds for a termination for cause include persistent absenteeism or chronic lateness, incompetence (this is a hard one to establish), theft, and breach of company policy.

It can also include harassment and bullying (and other breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act).

One very serious act may justify a for-cause termination or, in other instances, it may take multiple breaches to rise to the threshold of a proper termination for cause.

It is a very fact-specific analysis to decide whether this appears to be a proper termination for cause.

Further, an employer can terminate on a without cause basis for almost any reason except those prohibited by law such as that which would constitute a breach of the Human Rights Code.

Can I terminate an employee due to a lack of work?

Yes, you can. In fact, an employer is not even required to give a reason for the termination unless it is a termination for cause.

Although employers often wish to do so in an effort to be forthright or to try to change any perception that the employment was terminated on a prohibited ground such as a breach of the Human Rights Code.

If an employee is terminated because of a lack of work, that employee is typically entitled to notice or pay in lieu of notice, and other statutory requirements under the Employment Standards Act.

An alternative to termination would be a temporary layoff if this is permitted by law.

This would mean that the employer is not required to pay the employee for the period of time that s/he does not work but must bring them back within the time period set out by the Employment Standards Act.

What is a checklist to avoid wrongful termination?

If you are an employer, here are the things you need to know. Do not terminate the employee on any prohibited grounds.

In other words, you should not terminate an employee who has protections under the Human Rights Code or the Employment Standards Act.

Provide the proper amount of notice, or pay in lieu of notice, as required by the Employment Standards Act and the common law (if applicable).

In addition to notice, provide the other entitlements required at law such as severance pay, if applicable.

Can you re-employ an employee after paying them for termination?

Yes, you can. An employer may choose to offer a new employment contract to the employee but if the notice or pay in lieu of notice has been given, the new contract likely won’t reflect the prior years of service.

If you need help with employment law in Canada, speak to a lawyer.

What happens if an employer can show there is a safety plan in place?

If the employee still doesn’t want to go back to work, you should speak to an employment lawyer. The employee has the right to refuse unsafe work.

If the company has a reasonable safety plan in place, the employee should not refuse. There can become an issue of accommodation if the employee has additional health problems. Accommodation is a flexible concept.

How does an employer have a hard conversation with an employee?

These can be difficult conversations to have. From a legal perspective, an employee needs to provide relevant facts to the company.

When the facts are provided, the company should have an understanding of the conversation.

Sometimes the fact doesn’t satisfy the accommodation that the employee is seeking. It’s more of an HR issue than an employment law issue. In British Columbia, there are fewer employment laws than in places like the USA.

What happens if an employee gets hacked while working from home?

It doesn’t matter if someone works at home or at the office, if a laptop gets stolen from an employee’s car, there can be problems. Employees have a duty to protect sensitive information.

How Do You Deal With Being Mistreated at Work?

If you are being mistreated at work, talk to a trusted friend in the office to help you gain a better perspective of the situation. This will help you deal with the negativity.

You can also decide to be the bigger person and understand how others treat you is a reflection of how they feel about themselves and it has nothing to do with you.

Forgive the person responsible. This will lessen your frustration.

Can I Sue My Boss for Talking Behind My Back?

The best way to deal with a gossipy boss is to set clear boundaries such that your relationship remains purely professional. You can talk to your boss and respectfully let him/her know how uncomfortable gossip makes you.

Let your boss know that you would prefer to be the direct recipient of his/her critics or concerns over your performance.

Suing the boss may be your last resort although you may have to consider whether the job is worth the trouble or not.

Quitting might be a better solution especially if the gossiping is deteriorating the quality of your life by causing you emotional stress.

Keep in mind that lawsuits are very expensive. It doesn’t normally make sense to sue over smaller issues.

You typically don’t want to spend $20,000 on a gossip lawsuit.

Sometimes it’s better to move on.

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Employment Law In Canada: a Guide