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Atlantic Employers’ Counsel – Spring 2013

EDITOR’S COMMENT

This edition of Atlantic Employers’ Counsel focuses on key areas of employment standards in Atlantic Canada. Employment standards legislation outlines the rights and obligations of employees and requirements that apply to employers in most workplaces. However, employment standards legislation doesn’t apply to certain individuals and persons or organizations. For example, employees in sectors that fall under federal jurisdiction, such as airlines, banks and the civil service have other legislation covering their workplaces. Knowing what the minimum standards are in each province is key to developing (or reviewing) policies and dealing with workplace terminations or requests for leaves of absence. Often called the “floor” of employment rights, employment standards are also used as a benchmark when negotiating collective agreements and workplace policies. This edition focuses on a select handful of employment standard obligations. Readers should be aware that the following articles are general in nature and not intended to cover every nuance with respect to employment standards.

 

HOW MANY WEEKS WAS THAT?

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the best way to avoid litigation when terminating an employee is to agree on what it will take to terminate an employee BEFORE they start work. In our last Atlantic Employers’ Counselwe reviewed top just cause issues (i.e., theft, dishonesty, sexual harassment, etc.) and, as you know from reading those articles, if there’s just cause, an employee isn’t entitled to reasonable notice.

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TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES: VACATION IN ATLANTIC CANADA

As spring arrives and summer looms, employees will soon begin to contemplate cashing in on their annual vacation allowances. As an employer, it’s important to be aware of the minimum vacation entitlements in your province.

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HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: RULES ARE NOT THE SAME IN EACH ATLANTIC PROVINCE

It’s important to be aware which holidays apply to your employees. Different holidays are recognized across Atlantic Canada.

Most holidays apply to all four Atlantic Provinces, those include: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, Remembrance Day and Christmas Day, although, in Nova Scotia there are industry exemptions that may apply to Remembrance Day.

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WORKING OVERTIME IN ATLANTIC CANADA

Employment lawyers across Canada can thank Randy Bachman and two recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions if the tune “Taking Care of Business” is their latest earworm. Why? Read the CBC article, Bank Overtime Lawsuits. The time is ripe to review provincial employment standards as they relate to overtime in Atlantic Canada.

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SICK, BEREAVEMENT AND JURY LEAVES: WE DON’T WANT TO CONFUSE YOU, BUT…

As you can see from most of the articles in this edition, employment standards legislation in Atlantic Canada is far from uniform. Perhaps most so when it comes to dealing with short term leaves of absences. The following tells that story.

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Nova Scotia relaunches Paid Sick Leave Program

January 12, 2022

Rick Dunlop and Will Wojcik Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Program (“Program”) is now open for applications. Employers can now be reimbursed for employees’ time off work to comply with public health requirements, including…

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Retailer’s mandatory mask mandate – no discrimination based on disability or religious belief

December 30, 2021

Sean Kelly and Will Wojcik A recent decision of the Human Rights Tribunal of Alberta (“Tribunal”) dismissing a customer’s allegations of discrimination based on physical disability and religious belief against a Natural Food Store’s mandatory mask…

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New Brunswick Court of Appeal rejects claim for unjust enrichment in ordinary wrongful dismissal action

December 22, 2021

Clarence Bennett and Lara Greenough In ExxonMobil Business Support Centre Canada ULC v Birmingham, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal considered the equitable remedy of unjust enrichment in the context of an ordinary wrongful dismissal…

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COVID-19 vaccination soon to become mandatory in all federally regulated workplaces in Canada

December 17, 2021

Brian Johnston, QC and Katharine Mack COVID-19 vaccination policies have become more prevalent. Public sector employees have been mandated to get vaccinated in a number of jurisdictions, the federal government has mandated vaccinations in the…

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Work life balance and ban on non-competes – changes to laws in Ontario

December 17, 2021

*Last updated: December 17, 2021 (originally published December 1, 2021) Mark Tector and Will Wojcik Bill 27, Working for Workers Act (“Act”), 2021, received Royal Assent on December 2, 2021, and is now in force in Ontario.…

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Private posts can lead to a lack of academic professionalism: the relationship between social media and post-secondary institutions and the duty of procedural fairness

December 9, 2021

Included in Discovery: Atlantic Education & the Law – Issue 09 (also available in French, here) Tessa Belliveau In its recent and interesting decision regarding Zaki v.  University of Manitoba, 2021 MBQB 178 (CanLII), the…

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A new era: expanded obligations for owners under New Brunswick’s Construction Remedies Act

December 7, 2021

Included in Discovery: Atlantic Education & the Law – Issue 09 Conor O’Neil and Sarah-Jane Lewis Construction lien legislation exists in every province and territory in Canada. Liens are a creature of statute introduced, at…

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A legal lost and found: proposed rules for New Brunswick’s Unclaimed Property Act now published

December 6, 2021

Christopher Marr, TEP and Michael Forestell As detailed in our previous update , in March 2020 New Brunswick implemented the Unclaimed Property Act (“Act”), with the intention that the New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services…

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Legislative amendments impacting Prince Edward Island companies

December 3, 2021

Margaret Anne Walsh and Graeme Stetson Beneficial Ownership and Corporate Transparency On September 1, 2020, the Government of Prince Edward Island proclaimed into force Bill no. 34 which amends the Business Corporations Act (“BCA”). The…

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What the government is doing to continue support for international students

December 2, 2021

Included in Discovery: Atlantic Education & the Law – Issue 09 Brendan Sheridan With the 2021 fall school semester under way, it has been a year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic first resulted…

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