Employment Law Tracker – May 2024

Keeping up with employment law in Canada used to be a marathon. Now, it's a sprint. For employers in Québec, Ontario, and British Columbia, a significant volume of new legislation...

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently provided important guidance regarding the repudiation of employment agreements and common law notice entitlements...

Canada's federal government has announced a $3.5 billion rapid response support package in anticipation of retaliatory tariffs against the United States, introducing new temporary employment insurance measures and workforce retention programs. The package extends EI benefits, waives waiting periods, and creates funding opportunities for employers to retain and retrain workers rather than implement large-scale layoffs.

On March 9, 2023, British Columbia's Bill 2, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Act (Bill 2) received Royal Assent. Bill 2 came into force on the date of Royal Assent.

Ontario employers continue to face a rapidly evolving employment law landscape. Recent appellate decisions have provided much needed guidance on termination clauses and equity compensation, while proposed federal legislation signals a significant shift in the treatment of non-compete agreements. Below is a summary of several notable developments from 2026 so far.

WorkSafeBC is proposing significant amendments to British Columbia's Occupational Health and Safety Regulation that would fundamentally reshape how employers address workplace harassment, violence, and psychological health. The proposed changes introduce expanded definitions, new prevention program requirements, and obligations to identify and control psychosocial hazards. These amendments could require most B.C. employers to substantially revise their existing workplace policies and procedures.

Have you ever signed something without knowing if it's legal? Whether you're renting an apartment, accepting a job offer, or hiring a contractor...

When workplace investigators face difficult decisions, many default to marking allegations as "unsubstantiated" to avoid risk. However, this seemingly safe approach carries significant organizational costs, undermines complainant trust, and often stems from insufficient training in credibility assessment and the balance of probabilities standard.

A financial planner's wrongful dismissal case against RBC resulted in over $2.5 million in damages after the bank filed an inaccurate termination notice that destroyed her career prospects. The Ontario Superior Court found the bank's conduct vindictive and its allegations of cause unproven, raising critical questions about employer obligations when reporting terminations in the investment industry.

Le moment de passer aux urnes approche à grands pas. Les élections municipales se tiendront le dimanche 5 novembre prochain à travers le Québec.

Municipal elections across Ontario are scheduled to take place on October 24, 2022. Employers are obligated to provide their employees with sufficient time off work to vote.

On March 9, 2023, British Columbia's Bill 2, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Act, received Royal Assent. As a result, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation...

As we previously wrote about here, on May 13, 2024, the Ontario government introduced Bill 194, the Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act...

On May 16, 2025, the Ontario Court of Appeal in Bertsch v Datastealth Inc., 2025 ONCA 379 (CanLII) upheld a termination clause limiting employees' termination entitlements to the minimum amounts...

The recent decision of Timmins v. Artisan Cells ("Timmins") is in line with existing case law, and represents a sobering reminder of the significant potential liability for employers...

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has published a new version of its employment standards poster. The newest version of the poster, Version 9.0, is available for download in multiple languages here.

The temporary policy allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus has expired effective April 30, 2024.

Hon. Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, (the "Minister") recently announced upcoming changes to the International Student Work Program...

Toronto Public Health and Peel Public Health announced today that they will issue orders under Section 22

In Ontario, managerial/supervisory employees, among others, are exempt from the overtime provisions of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 ("ESA").