Articles.
Paid Sick Leave Is Here To Stay
The B.C. government has recently taken the rather large step of adding an entitlement to paid sick leave to B.C.’s Employment Standards Act. The leave, up to 5 days annually, becomes effective on Ja...
My Frustration, Your Frustration
When the COVID-19 pandemic rolled across North America last March, employment lawyers started to talk about the legal concept of “frustration of contract”. It seemed like one of the more likely defence...
Clarifying – Slightly – The Mandatory Vaccination Picture
As we march farther along the COVID-19 pandemic path, things are (ever so) slowly coming into focus for employers in terms of how to deal with employees. The topic of the moment, of course, is whether employers can impose mandatory vaccination pol...
The Mathematics of COVID-19 and Discrimination
British Columbia’s Human Rights Tribunal has issued two recent decisions, dismissing complaints against Premier John Horgan and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry arising out of the recent “vaccine passport” announcement....
May I See Your (Vaccine) Passport?
British Columbia’s government stuck its big toe in the water with its recent “vaccine passport” announcement. I use that metaphor because I believe they are waiting to see what the public reaction will be to the announcement and,...
The Employer’s Vaccination Dilemma
Many B.C. employers are asking the question, “Can we compel unwilling employees to become fully vaccinated?” With rapidly-rising COVID-19 case counts among the unvaccinated, it’s no wonder employers want to compel their employees...
B.C. CERBs Up A Victory for Employers
In a time in which there have been few wins for business, B.C.’s Supreme Court has just served up a (small) victory for employers. In one of the first “pandemic” decisions, the Court has determined that a terminated employe...
Fifteen Ways To Leave A Pandemic
“The problem is all inside your head she said to me, the answer is easy if you take it logically. I’d like...
The Sky Hasn’t Fallen, Yet
A little over a year ago, employment lawyers across Canada began cautioning employers about the risks associated with laying off employees due to the COVID pandemic. Lawyers and businesses were between a rock and a hard place; employers coul...