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ARTICLE · 16 APRIL 2020

Changes Result In The Alberta Electronic Transactions Act Applying To Employment And Other Records

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Legislative changes have resulted in the Alberta Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) now applying to various records often relied upon by employers, landlords, tenants and others. As any record to which the ETA applies...

CanadaPrivacy
J. Sébastien Gittens
J. Sébastien Gittens
Stephen D. Burns
Stephen D. Burns
HC Lee
HC Lee
Author LinkedIn connections

Legislative changes have resulted in the Alberta Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) now applying to various records often relied upon by employers, landlords, tenants and others. As any record to which the ETA applies cannot be denied legal effect (i.e., solely by reason that it is in electronic form), these changes will provide additional assurance to those dealing with electronic versions of the aforementioned records in Alberta.

The ETA was enacted nearly 20 years ago to remove "barriers to electronic commerce by ensuring that electronic records and transactions have the same validity and enforceability as traditional paper based transactions."1 For example, the ETA can provide for "functional equivalency" of electronic documents and signatures, giving them the same legal force as their paper and ink counterparts.2 In addition, the ETA allows contracts to be formed by electronic means, for example, by "touching or clicking on an appropriate icon or other place on a

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