News & Analysis as of

Workplace Safety Employment Litigation Canada

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Needle-less Dispute? BC Court Finds That Unpaid Leave Due to Non-Compliance Did Not Amount to Constructive Dismissal

Stikeman Elliott LLP on

The COVID-19 litigation lag continues to play out in Canadian courts; and employers are starting to get some clarity on some of the key workplace issues that arose during the pandemic. In Clark v. City of Prince George,...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Québec Court of Appeal Clarifies the Duty to Reassign Pregnant Workers

In Ville de Québec v. Ouellet, a pregnant police sergeant asked her employer, the City of Québec, to assign her safe duties rather than be pulled off the job under the workers’ compensation program known as Program for a safe...more

Bennett Jones LLP

Yule Be Sorry: Avoiding Pitfalls of Employer Liability at Holiday Events

Bennett Jones LLP on

As the festive season begins and employers prepare for holiday social events, they should be digging out their workplace policies and checking them twice. No matter how well-intended, social events that are hosted or planned...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Affirms City Lacked Control of Workplace and Exercised Due Diligence, Upholding Acquittal of OHSA Charges

Littler on

In R. v. Greater Sudbury (City), 2024 ONSC 3959, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (OSCJ) dismissed an appeal of the trial judge’s decision in which she acquitted the City of Sudbury (City) of various charges under...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Appeal Court Confirms Employment Contract Frustrated by Employee’s Refusal to Comply With COVID-19 Vaccination...

Littler on

In Croke v. VuPoint System Ltd., 2024 ONCA 354, the Court of Appeal for Ontario (OCA) upheld the Superior Court of Justice – Ontario (SCJ)’s summary judgment decision that an employee’s refusal to comply with their employer’s...more

Ius Laboris

Canadian court upholds termination of unvaccinated worker

Ius Laboris on

The Ontario Court of Appeal recently held that an employee’s failure to meet COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by a third party amounted to frustration of the employment contract. As a result, there was no obligation...more

Bennett Jones LLP

Fundamental Breach or Reasonable Balance? Alberta Court Affirms Employer’s Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Bennett Jones LLP on

In the case of Van Hee v Glenmore Inn Holdings Ltd., 2023 ABCJ 244 (Van Hee), Justice L.L. Burt of the Alberta Court of Justice (the Court) held that an employer was justified in unilaterally placing an employee on an unpaid...more

Littler

Alberta, Canada Court Holds Placing Employee on Unpaid Leave for Failure to Comply with Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy is...

Littler on

In Van Hee v Glenmore Inn Holdings Ltd., 2023 ABCJ 244 (Glenmore), the Alberta Court of Justice found that an employer’s mandatory vaccination policy was a reasonable, justified and lawful response to the extraordinary...more

Littler

Supreme Court of Canada Confirms “Owners” of Construction Projects Are “Employers” Under OHSA

Littler on

The Supreme Court of Canada’s (SCC) decision in R. v. Greater Sudbury (City), 2023 SCC 28 was equally divided (4-4).  In the absence of a majority SCC decision, the City's appeal was dismissed, and the decision of the Court...more

Ius Laboris

Site supervisor found guilty of criminal negligence causing death

Ius Laboris on

Michael Henderson, a young worker employed by Springhill Construction Ltd. died while working at a wastewater treatment and pumping plant in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in 2018.  The City of Fredericton contracted with...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Arbitrator Upholds Reasonableness of Hospital Vaccination Policy Providing for Employment Termination of...

Littler on

An arbitrator recently issued the first award in Ontario to address and uphold the reasonableness of a hospital vaccination policy that provides for the termination of employment for non-compliance.  In Lakeridge Health and...more

Fisher Phillips

Canada: BC Supreme Court Upholds Mandatory Vaccination Policy for Non-Unionized Employees

Fisher Phillips on

The British Columbia Supreme Court recently sided with an employer in its first civil case determining whether employees may be placed on unpaid leave for failing to comply with a mandatory vaccination policy. The court’s...more

Bennett Jones LLP

Alberta Court Confirms Exclusive Jurisdiction of Labour Arbitrator Over Mandatory Vaccination Policy

Bennett Jones LLP on

The Court of King's Bench of Alberta recently applied the long-standing principle that labour arbitrators have exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate disputes arising under a collective agreement, even in the context of an...more

Littler

Alberta, Canada’s Human Rights Tribunal Awards $50,000 to Employee Whose Employment Was Terminated After Claiming Sexual...

Littler on

In McCharles v Jaco Line Contractors Ltd., 2022 AHRC 115, an employee alleged that her employer discriminated against her on the basis of gender contrary to the Alberta Human Rights Act (AHRA) when it terminated her...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Extraordinary Times Call for Extraordinary Measures: Unpaid Leave for Non-Compliance with Mandatory Vaccination Policy Not...

Stikeman Elliott LLP on

With the decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court in Parmar v Tribe Management Inc. 2022 BCSC 1675 (“Parmar”), Canada has its first judicial decision considering whether placing a non-union employee on unpaid leave of...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada Court Confirms Sexual Harassment Not an Independent Tort

Littler on

Employee filed action against company vice president for sexual harassment and sexual assault, and against company for vicarious liability for the sexual harassment. Court confirmed that sexual harassment is not an...more

Littler

British Columbia Court Finds Employer May Place Employee on Unpaid Leave for Failing to Comply with its Mandatory COVID-19...

Littler on

Although arbitrators in Canada have considered whether an employer in a unionized workplace can place an employee on unpaid leave for failing to comply with its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, the British Columbia...more

Littler

Canada: Alberta Court Finds Employee Resigned and Was Not Constructively Dismissed When He Did Not Comply with Mask Policy

Littler on

In Benke v Loblaw Companies Limited, 2022 ABQB 461, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta (ABQB) dismissed an employee’s claim that he had been constructively dismissed when his employer did not accommodate him with a mask...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Constructive Dismissal Unmasked as Resignation: Alberta Court Finds Employee Resigned After Refusing to Comply with Mask Policy

Stikeman Elliott LLP on

In Benke v Loblaw Companies Limited, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench held that the employer did not constructively dismiss one of their employees who had been placed on unpaid leave for failing to comply with a mandatory...more

Littler

Canada: Key Trends in Arbitration Awards Pertaining to Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies

Littler on

Since late fall 2021, we have seen a steady flow of arbitration awards emerge in Ontario and British Columbia that consider issues relating to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in the unionized workplace. In this...more

Littler

British Columbia, Canada: Arbitrator Upholds Electricity Provider’s Vaccination Policy But Severs Discipline Aspect as...

Littler on

In BC Hydro and Power Authority and IBEW, Local 258, Re, 2022 CarswellBC 837, Arbitrator Gabriel Somjen decided that the mandatory vaccination policy of BC Hydro, British Columbia’s primary electricity supplier, was...more

Littler

British Columbia, Canada: Arbitrator Decides Employer Could Terminate Employee Who Refused Government-Ordered Vaccination

Littler on

On April 4, 2022, in Fraser Health Authority v British Columbia General Employees’ Union, 2022 CanLII 25560, Arbitrator Koml Kandola of the British Columbia Labour Relations Board dismissed the union’s grievance respecting...more

Littler

Ontario, Canada: Another Arbitration Decision Upholds Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Littler on

In Unifor Local 973 v Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited, 2022 CanLII 20322, Arbitrator Mark Wright made another contribution to the “weight of authority” in Ontario labour arbitration awards pertaining to mandatory COVID-19...more

Littler

Canada: Arbitrator Finds Termination Consequences of Long-Term Care Home’s Mandatory Vaccination Policy Violated Collective...

Littler on

In Chartwell Housing REIT v. Healthcare, Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 2220, 2022CanLII 6832 (ON LA) (Chartwell), Arbitrator Gail Misra considered a provision in a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy that...more

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Enforceability of Vaccination Policies Boosted by Recent Arbitration Decision

Stikeman Elliott LLP on

Since we last wrote on the topic of COVID-19 vaccination policies, another vaccination policy was upheld at arbitration, this time, requiring employees to receive a third “booster” shot against COVID-19. ...more

31 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 2

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide