Resources: Administrative

  • Vaccination Status and the “New Normal”

    August 13, 2021

    by Drew DemerseChristopher Munroe

    As governments and businesses seek to avoid closures that have so heavily impacted the economy and everyday life, many are looking to vaccine passports and/or considering mandatory vaccination in the workplace to facilitate a return to “normal” operations.

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  • Major Apprenticeship Initiative Funded by Federal Government May Help Recruit and Employ New Workers

    October 11, 2022

    by Mike HamataAndrew Nicholl

    The Federal Government’s Apprenticeship Service is engaged in a large scale funding campaign, designed to increase apprenticeship opportunities and promote apprenticeships. It is also designed to increase diversity. This bulletin will focus on employers in the construction industry in BC, although the program is not limited to such employers.

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  • BC Supreme Court Weighs in on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies

    September 29, 2022

    by Danny BernsteinAndrew Peng

    On September 27, 2022, the BC Supreme Court released its decision in Parmar v. Tribe Management Inc., 2022 BCSC 1675 (“Parmar”). This is the first time the BC Supreme Court has directly weighed in on the validity of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in non-unionized workplaces and was a much-awaited decision for many employers and employees in British Columbia who are involved in similar litigation.

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  • Through the Looking Glass: 2022 BC Labour Law Forecast

    February 3, 2022

    by Kate DueckMike Hamata

    It is the start of a new year and we are ready to look ahead. In B.C., we are anticipating some significant labour decisions in 2022, which could be consequential for unionized workplaces. Join us as we fall down the rabbit hole of Charter challenges and vaccination policies.

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  • Employment Standards Claims Cannot be Pursued in B.C. Courts

    November 2019

    by Danny Bernstein

    A recent summary trial decision from the B.C. Supreme Court confirms that claims arising from breaches of the B.C. Employment Standards Act (ESA) cannot be pursued in a civil action and denies the application of the tort of intimidation to a threatened breach of an employment contract.

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  • Buyer Beware: The Labour Relations Board Deals With New Successorship Provisions in the BC Labour Relations Code

    November 2019

    by Andrew Nicholl

    Bill 30 introduced new contract retendering successorship provisions in section 35 of the Labour Relations Code (the “Code”). Our firm has commented previously that the new provisions will have a significant impact on certain contractors in BC.

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  • Six Months for Six Months: Is One Month’s Notice per One Month of Employment Reasonable?

    August 2019

    by Danny Bernstein

    The past few years have seen a wave of Canadian court awards involving significant reasonable notice periods for short service employees, and the recent B.C. case of Greenlees v. Starline Windows Ltd, 2018 BCSC 1457 is a prime example.

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  • Canada’s Digital Charter: The Problem of Trust in a Growing Digital World

    June 2019

    by Jordan Michaux

    Canada’s privacy legislation may be headed for significant renovation.

    On May 21, 2019, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development, The Honourable Navdeep Bains, introduced Canada’s Digital Charter. This Charter sets out 10 principles intended to guide the government’s decisions about the digital and data economy.

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  • Summary of Changes to the B.C. Employment Standards Act

    May 2019

    by Christopher Munroe

    On May 30, 2019, the Provincial Government passed changes to the B.C. Employment Standards Act (the “ESA”). The ESA is the law that sets minimum standards for workplaces in the province, and has not been significantly updated for 15 years. The changes are overwhelmingly employee-friendly.

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  • Final Amendments to the B.C. Labour Relations Code, Now in Effect!

    May 2019

    by Michael R. Kilgallin

    Further to our May 2, 2019, update, on May 30, 2019 the Provincial Government passed Bill 30-2019, Labour Relations Code Amendment Act, 2019.  Everything in the First Reading was accepted, save for a change to the construction industry raid period.

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