B.C. pausing consultation on proposed changes to workplace safety legislation following provincial election call
By: Julius Melnitzer | October 8, 2026 WorkSafeBC is pausing its public consultation on proposed changes to the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation after Premier David Eby called a snap provincial election for Oct. 24. From an employer’s perspective, the pause impacts proposed amendments that would add a new Part 4.1 — titled ‘Psychological […]
Federal change in right to strike splits labour bar
Paul Cavalluzzo | Christopher Pigott Union and employer counsel clash over new limits in Bill C-39’s s. 107 rewrite and whether it survives Charter scrutiny By Julius Melnitzer | October 2, 2026 For labour lawyers, the fight over the Building Canada Strong Act focuses on the rewrite of s. 107 of the Canada Labour Code, […]
Paralegal sues Spectrum Family Law, alleging harassment and wrongful dismissal
Kathryn Marshall Claim names managing partner Conan Taylor, whose other firm settled a human rights complaint months earlier By Julius Melnitzer | September 18, 2026 A former paralegal at a Vancouver family law boutique has sued the firm, its managing partner, and a lawyer she reported to, alleging that the lawyer harassed her, the managing […]
FCA: EI rules stripping new mother of job-loss benefits discriminate
Stephen Moreau Six Employment Insurance Act provisions violate Charter equality rights; Parliament has one year to fix them By Julius Melnitzer | September 12, 2026 A veteran Toronto litigator believes a recent Federal Court of Appeal decision could force the federal government to redesign the country’s employment insurance scheme. “Parliament will have to revisit certain […]
Ontario court rules executive entitled to stock options that vested following notice period
By Julius Melnitzer | August 27, 2026 An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that a senior executive was entitled to compensation for restricted stock unit and share option incentives that wouldn’t have fully vested until after the reasonable notice period. “This is the first time that I am aware of where an employee recovered […]
B.C. court rules remote working arrangement an essential term of employment
By: Julius Melnitzer | July 17, 2026 The British Columbia Court of Appeal has ruled that an unwritten but long-accepted work-from-home arrangement can become an essential term of employment, so that a unilateral return-to-office order — without notice or agreement — can trigger constructive dismissal. “The decision in Cressey Construction Corporation v. Parolin is getting a lot of […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Women in law, silent suffering | Hallucination catcher? | Court: AI can’t replace workers | AI beats law profs | Arbitration Place launches in Brazil
By Julius Melnitzer | June 21, 2026 EXHAUSTED WOMAN LAWYERS FEAR SPEAKING UP Some 70% of women in law suffer frequently from exhaustion or low energy, and 65% of those affected, fearing the impact on their careers, won’t speak up, says a report from the Law Society of England and Wales that surveyed 533 legal […]
What employers need to know when seeking medical documentation for accommodation requests
By: Julius Melnitzer | June 4, 2026 Recent decisions in Ontario and British Columbia demonstrate the balance between employers’ need to know and employees’ right to privacy at the heart of the employee accommodation process. “Arbitrators look to confine requests for medical documentation to what is reasonably necessary to determine the legal elements of accommodation,” says […]
What B.C. employers need to know about modernizations of province’s employment standards branch
By Julius Melnitzer | June 2, 2026 In what amounts to a major procedural overhaul, British Columbia has introduced legislation aimed at modernizing the way its Employment Standards Branch handles workplace complaints from non-unionized employees and temporary foreign workers. “Although the government’s press release does not mention this, my understanding is that these amendments come […]
How do OECD remote-working guidelines impact Canadian employers?
By: Julius Melnitzer | April 2, 2026 The Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development has introduced new guidelines for determining whether a remote employee’s home office amounts to a permanent establishment that attracts tax for a foreign employer. The guidelines formulate a two-part test for use in determining whether a permanent establishment exists. The tests consist […]