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COVID-19 Further Details On Federal Government’s Wage Subsidy Program

Following up on our earlier blog, new details have emerged concerning the Federal government’s announcement of up to a 75% wage subsidy for qualifying organizations, retroactive to March 15, 2020. While a comprehensive plan is not yet in place, we now know that the wage subsidy will be available to all Canadian businesses, non-profits and… Read more »

COVID-19 Federal Government Boosts Wage Subsidy for Businesses

New 75% Wage Subsidy for Businesses Earlier today, the Federal government announced additional support for small and medium-sized businesses with the goal of encouraging businesses not to reduce staffing levels during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The centrepiece of this announcement is a significantly expanded wage subsidy. The Federal government had previously announced a 10% wage… Read more »

COVID-19 Proposed Amendment to BC Employment Standards Act

The BC government has tabled an amendment to the Employment Standards Act (“ESA”) that will increase employees’ rights to unpaid leave not only during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also into the future.  The proposed amendment grants employees the right to an indefinite amount of leave if they are dealing with specific disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The government has indicated that this section is time-limited and will be repealed after the pandemic.  In addition to the response to COVID-19, the amendment also proposes to grant employees the right to three days of unpaid illness or injury leave each year.  This is intended to be a permanent change and brings the ESA into harmony with employment legislation in other provinces.

Open Letter to Friends + Clients – COVID-19

COVID-19 and the Workplace – Your Legal Obligations as an Employer and Employee during a Pandemic

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, global updates have been flooding our news feed – whether it be which politician has been tested positive for the virus or what sport and music event has announced they are postponing or cancelling, we are all in one way or another affected by this… Read more »

The Jig is Up on the Gig Economy – OLRB says Foodora Couriers can Unionize

Case Review:  Canadian Union of Postal Workers v Foodora Inc (dba Foodora) (2020), OLRB Case No 1346-19-R In a new decision with potentially far-reaching consequences, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (the “Board”) has held that Foodora couriers have the right to unionize. You’ve almost certainly seen them buzzing around your neighborhood on their bikes, braving the… Read more »

Part IV – The Neverending Story: The Code and the Goblet of Human Rights

Like all great tetralogies (a Greek word defined as a compound work composed of four distinct works – Google it), we let the success of our initial trilogy go to our heads (read Part I: Employment Standards Act, Part II: Labour Relations Code, and Part III: Canada Labour Code).  The resulting inflated egos, creative differences, unsuccessful side… Read more »

BCCA Pumps the Brakes on Application of Rosas v. Toca to Employment Contract Variations

Case Review: Quach v Mitrux Services Ltd., 2020 BCCA 25 Recently, the BC Court of Appeal commented on several foundational issues that arise in wrongful dismissal litigation.  Particularly, the following are of interest to employers: the enforceability of a new or varied employment contract; when a dismissed employee may succeed with a claim for aggravated… Read more »

First Cited: Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in BC Charter Claim

Case Review: Servatius v Alberni School District No 70, 2020 BCSC 15 With the recent passing of Bill 41, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (“Declaration Act”), which MT+Co.’s Merle Alexander, QC co-drafted, British Columbia is one of the first jurisdictions in the world to take legislative action to implement the United… Read more »

Welcome to the Year of the Rat