In 2017, in its decision in Saadati v. Moorhead, the Supreme Court of Canada addressed the question of what constitutes a compensable mental injury and the kind of evidence needed to prove that injury. The Court of Appeal recently revisited this question in its decision in Bothwell v. London Health Sciences Centre. Facts of the Case … Continue reading Saadati v. Moorhead Revisited – Proving Mental Distress Damages
Damages
COVID-19 – Constructive Dismissal Update Revisited
In my last post, which you can find here, I wrote about section 7 of O. Reg. 228/20 entitled Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (the “IDEL Regulation”) and how it affects an employee's claim for constructive dismissal. Section 7 of this Regulation of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”) states: (1) The following does not constitute constructive dismissal if … Continue reading COVID-19 – Constructive Dismissal Update Revisited
Update on Termination Clauses from the Court of Appeal
Termination clauses or notice provisions in employment agreements are an area of employment law that continues to develop at a rapid pace. These provisions attempt to limit the amount of notice, or pay in lieu thereof, that an employee might be entitled to upon dismissal. My previous article on this topic can be found here. … Continue reading Update on Termination Clauses from the Court of Appeal
What Am I Entitled To In A Wrongful Dismissal Claim?
Most of the time, when a client comes to see me about a wrongful dismissal, the client tells me, "I only want what I am entitled to." However, most of the time, the client does not really know what he or she is entitled to in damages or compensation. The Court of Appeal's decision in … Continue reading What Am I Entitled To In A Wrongful Dismissal Claim?
How Long Can I Wait To Look For A New Job?
Every employee suing for wrongful or constructive dismissal is required to mitigate his or her losses by taking reasonable steps to search for new work. This duty to mitigate is a topic that I have written about on several occasions. You can find links to these articles here and here. A question that I am … Continue reading How Long Can I Wait To Look For A New Job?
Can I Change My Mind After I Quit?
People quit or resign from their jobs for a variety of reasons. Some decide to do so after careful consideration of the advantages and disadvantages. For example, some leave their job for another position with a different employer. Others decide to resign on the spur of the moment, and sometimes in the heat of the … Continue reading Can I Change My Mind After I Quit?
Can I Seek Re-Training and Still Sue for Wrongful Dismissal?
Any time an employee is dismissed without cause and chooses to sue the employer for wrongful dismissal, the employee is obligated to attempt to mitigate his damages, or minimize his losses, by looking for similar work. In Michaels v. Red Deer College, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed that an employee must take reasonable steps to … Continue reading Can I Seek Re-Training and Still Sue for Wrongful Dismissal?
What will happen to my job now that the business has been sold?
Mergers and acquisitions of companies and their assets occur on a regular basis. Sometimes the entire company is acquired by way of a purchase of the shares. At other times, only the assets of the company are purchased, leaving ownership of the company intact. From an employee's point of view, this distinction can be important … Continue reading What will happen to my job now that the business has been sold?
The Art of the Notice Period
The dismissal of an employee without cause is never easy. For the employee, it means the loss of his and his family's means of livelihood through no fault of his own (most of the time). For the employer, it can entail a rather uncomfortable termination meeting with a perhaps valuable and even likeable, but nonetheless, redundant … Continue reading The Art of the Notice Period
Weak Economy? You Could Be Entitled to More Pay in Lieu of Notice
In a previous case comment, I wrote about how an employer's declining financial health can reduce a court's assessment of the reasonable notice period that an employee may be entitled to in a wrongful dismissal case. By contrast, in a recent case, Zoldowski v. Strongco Corporation, 2015 ONSC 5485, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice considered … Continue reading Weak Economy? You Could Be Entitled to More Pay in Lieu of Notice