Employment Insurance (EI) Records of Employment (ROE) and the new Emergency Benefit (CERB) This is the sixth part of the six-part series relating to employer obligations and employee rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses Employment Insurance (“EI”) Records of Employment (“ROE”) and the new CERB benefit. If you have questions about an issue relating...Continue Reading

March 25, 2020 1:30 pm Bill C-13 has now how passed in the Senate and is expected to receive royal assent this afternoon. The federal government has announced that it will merge two previously announced employment insurance benefits for Canadians who are out of or off work because of Covid-19. The new benefit will merge...Continue Reading

Following up on last week’s declaration of emergency under Ontario’s Emergency Management Act, Premier Ford yesterday announced that all but essential services in Ontario will be closed for at least two weeks commencing March 24th at midnight.  Schools are not considered essential services and will not be opening as originally planned on April 6, 2020....Continue Reading

During the COVID-19 pandemic many employers are having to make changes to their workplaces, including their levels and type of staffing. This can mean that some employees are being asked to work from home, work less hours, or not work at all. Employees may view these changes as a constructive dismissal. What is a constructive...Continue Reading

The Employment Insurance Act provides temporary financial assistance to individuals who are off work and suffering loss of employment income.  Eligible employees can avail themselves of the following employment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic: Sickness Benefits Where an employee is sick or in quarantine and they suffer a reduction in normal weekly earnings of...Continue Reading

A lay off occurs when an employer stops providing work or compensation to an employee temporarily.  In those cases, despite the interruption of work, the employment relationship is considered to be ongoing on the understanding that work and compensation may resume in the future.  For example, if an employee is directed to quarantine and they...Continue Reading

The Human Rights Code (“Code”) provides every person in the workplace the right to be free from discrimination because of a ground that is protected under the Code. Protected grounds under the Code include disability (which would cover confirmed or perceived cases of COVID-19), place of origin, ethnic origin, ancestry, race, citizenship, and family status (defined...Continue Reading

Statutory Leaves Under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”), eligible employees are entitled to a number of unpaid job-protected leaves from work. These are in place to ensure that employees who have to be absent for any of these reasons will not lose their jobs as a result.  The following are some that apply in...Continue Reading

In responding to COVID-19, employers may be put in a position of having to collect, use and disclose personal information about their workers.  Employers should seek to balance their worker’s right to privacy with their legal obligations to collect, use and disclose such information.  Generally, employers should only endeavour to collect, use and disclose information...Continue Reading

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on the Canadian workforce and economy, putting employers and employees in the position of having to figure out their legal obligations and protections in a rapidly changing and uncertain time. Please note that the information in this post relates to Ontario’s provincially regulated and non-unionized workplaces. It...Continue Reading

Turnpenney Milne LLP is pleased to be included in Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s Top 10 Labour and Employment Boutiques.Continue Reading

On October 24, 2019, Lindsay Gluck will be presenting at HRPA Niagara’s chapter event on the topic of Bad Boss or Bully? How to Know the Difference and What to Do About It.  Attendees will receive a practical overview of workplace harassment and learn: developments in workplace law pertaining to bullying and harassment by supervisors...Continue Reading

Krista Siedlak will be presenting at the 30th Annual Schedule 2 Employers’ Group Conference on October 22nd on “The Nuts and Bolts of Conducting Workplace Investigations. Topics will include: The investigation process An in-depth overview of the steps in an investigationContinue Reading

On September 23, 2019, Krista Siedlak will be presenting at the Law Society of Ontario on “Workplace Investigations: Understanding the Statutory Framework and Key Concepts.” The presentation will include the following topics: statutory framework related to internal workplace investigations reviewing internal policies and collective agreements implications of changes to WSIA regarding mental stress benefitsContinue Reading

On September 26, 2019, Krista Siedlak will be presenting at the 2019 Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) Eastern Conference in Kingston on How to Manage an Underperforming Employee. Attendees will learn: the difference between performance management and employee discipline; understand when to performance manage and when to use your employee discipline process; common mistakes and...Continue Reading

Courtney Laidlaw wrote an article published in Canadian Employment Law Today outlining the regulations coming into force under the federal Bill C-65 relating to harassment and violence in the workplace. Feds aim to stamp out workplace violence and harassment.pdf  Continue Reading

On June 20, 2019 Catherine Milne co-Chaired the Law Society of Ontario’s 22nd Annual Six Minute Employment Lawyer.  Close to 400 lawyers participated in the program which will be available via web replay on July 24, 2019.  Nathaniel Marshall was one of the faculty.  He spoke on Workplace Investigations and Common Pitfalls to Avoid when...Continue Reading

On May 15, 2019, Nathaniel Marshall was published in Employment Law Today. His article Avoiding the Lows of Employees Getting High discussed how employers must balance the rights of employees and their own concerns surrounding health, safety, and productivity in the era of legal marijuana. Avoiding the Lows of Employees Getting High.pdfContinue Reading

Nathaniel Marshall recently wrote an article for Canadian Employment Law titled A Quick Guide for Conducting Workplace Investigations.Continue Reading

We are pleased to announce that Sunil Sharma, Esi Codjoe and Nathaniel Marshall have joined our team in Toronto.Continue Reading

Catherine Milne presented as Faculty at the Osgoode Certificate for Human Resources Law for HR Professionals on April 2, 2019. This annual certificate program provides an essential foundation in the laws governing the employment relationship. Catherine’s topic was Equity, Diversity & Accommodation: Human Rights at Work.Continue Reading

On March 23rd, Krista Siedlak spoke at the Osgoode Certificate for Labour Law on Investigations. Krista’s focus was on Making a Finding and Report Writing.Continue Reading

Krista Siedlak presented twice at the Osgoode Certificate for Human Resources Law for HR Professionals on March 16th on Investigations. Specifically, Krista spoke to the group on Interviewing Techniques, followed by Repairing and Restoration Work post-investigation.Continue Reading

Krista Siedlak will be presenting at the Weed in the Workplace: The HR Professional’s Guide To Managing Risks Under the New Cannabis Regime program taking place April 4, 2019 at Osgoode Hall, York University. 2019 OPD Weed in the WorkplaceContinue Reading

Catherine Milne and Krista Siedlak will be presenting at the Osgoode Certificate in Human Resources Law for HR Professionals; five one-day modules taking place from March 26 – April 30, 2019 at Osgoode Hall, York University. OPD Certificate in HR Law 2019Continue Reading

Ozlem Yucel recently wrote an article for HR Professional entitled Bad Boss or Bully? How to Know the Difference.Continue Reading

Krista Siedlak and Lindsay Gluck are presenting two topics at the Annual Human Resources Professionals Association Conference on February 1, 2019: Boss or Bull? How to Know the Difference and What to Do about It, and #AfterMeToo: What Does This Mean for your CompanyContinue Reading

On November 20, 2018, Ozlem Yucel spoke at the Human Resource Professionals Association on the topic of “The Employment Standards Act and Bill 47”.Continue Reading