Updating your Bonus Plans

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 ...

BC Employees Receive 3 hours Paid Time for Vaccination

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 ...

New Workplace Closure Powers

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 ...

Updating your Progressive Discipline Policy

An annual review of your progressive discipline policy is good HR practice. Is your policy helping you to change unwanted behaviours? Are your employees aware of the policy and do they understand how it works? Is the policy helping you to communicate expected behaviour in the workplace? Is the policy being consistently and appropriately applied ...

Employers Beware – Potential Future Violation of ESA Could Render Employment Agreement Unenforceable

23. March 2021 0
In a recent decision, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found that a termination provision was unenforceable because it would violate Ontario’s Employment Standards Act if the employee’s role changed or the employer grew in size. Facts Chris Rutledge was a construction worker with Canaan Construction. Ontario’s employment standards legislation provides that “construction employees” are ...