BC is finally starting to see progress in moving past the COVID19 pandemic. Daily cases are decreasing, hospitalizations are decreasing, and rate of vaccination is increasing. With that, workplaces are beginning to consider the return to normal. The starting point for that is understanding BC’s Restart Plan and finding a way to apply that Plan ...
Facts The plaintiff, Jafeef Mohammed, brought an action against his former employer, Dexterra, for wrongful dismissal. The plaintiff began working with Dexterra as a supervisor in June 2018. He was terminated on November 11, 2019 without cause and given four weeks’ notice. He was 51 years old. Prior to his employment with Dexterra, the plaintiff ...
Yee v Hudson’s Bay Company, 2021 ONSC 387 On August 28, 2019 Yee’s employment with the Hudson’s Bay Company (“HBC”) was terminated and Yee started a claim for wrongful dismissal. As expected, the judge in the Ontario Supreme Court applied the Bardal factors in his analysis; however it is noteworthy that as part of his ...
A new program was unveiled today which provides for 3 paid days off for absences related to COVID-19 for both full and part time workers. While the cost of paying for the days off will be paid by the employer, the new program will provide for reimbursement, at least in part, to employers who do ...
Bonuses are a great tool to motivate and reward staff. Bonuses can contribute to employee loyalty and can provide employers with a way of tailoring compensation to revenue, allowing payment in times when revenue allows it but not requiring it when revenue does not. Payment of bonuses can also; however, create unanticipated financial liability at ...
On April 28, the BC government announced that it was making it easier for individuals to get vaccinated by amending the Employment Standards Act. The Act now requires employers to provide up to 3 hours of paid time off for employees to get vaccinated. This change is retroactive to April 19, 2021. Employers can ask ...
A judge in Alberta has made a decision that may be of interest to many employees and employers across the country. Case Summary In Kosteckyj v. Paramount Resources Ltd. 2021 ABQB 225, an Alberta judge considered a situation where the employer implemented a salary reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the employee’s salary was cut by 10%, ...
Facts The plaintiff in Wilson v. Pomerleau Inc., 2021 BCSC 388 was employed by the defendant construction company as chief estimator for the BC region. In his role as chief estimator, the plaintiff supervised a team of 2-6 individuals. He had a base salary of approx. $174,000 and participated in an annual profit sharing program ...
The BC Human Rights Tribunal issued a screening decision on April 8, 2021 in the case of a worker who refused to wear a mask at a job site. The worker was contracted for a job. When he arrived at the site, the supervisor asked him to wear a mask. The worker refused based on ...
In the ongoing fight against COVID 19 and in particular in response to the recent surge in cases, the BC Provincial Health Officer has announced new workplace closure powers. These were announced on April 8 and are in effect as of April 12. The order authorizes British Columbia WorkSafeBC officers to operate under the Public ...