Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant economic disruptions on businesses across Canada, many employees were either terminated from their employment, or were placed on "temporary layoff" by their employers. While it may seem reasonable for employers to ask their employees to stay home while
What Are My Rights as an Employee in Ontario?
In Ontario, all workers are guaranteed certain (minimum) rights at work protected by law. In this article, we cover few main areas of legal protection that all employees enjoy, including when it comes to employment terms and conditions and human rights. Employment Employment law in Ontario is a
Ontario Employee or Independent Contractor?
Are you an employee or an independent contractor? What is the difference, and what rights does an employee have that an independent contractor does not under Ontario employment law? One of the difficulties workers experience is not knowing how to determine if they are really an "independent
Employer’s Duty To Accommodate
Human Rights and an Employer's Duty to Accommodate In Ontario, all employees are protected by a provincial law called the Human Rights Code ("Code"). The Code has a very important role in protecting people to ensure they are not discriminated against not only at work, but also when it comes to
Employee Rights in Ontario
In Ontario, What Are an Employee's Basic Rights at Work? In Ontario, employment is governed by a variety of different laws. As a result, employment law is highly specialized, complex and consistently changing. However, there are specific legal rights that employees in Ontario workplaces are entitled
Terminating Employment in Ontario: Just Cause vs. Without Cause
In Ontario, if an employer wants to end an employee’s job with the company, it generally has two options: It can either terminate the employee “with cause” or “without cause.” This is an all-or-nothing rule, and there is simply no middle ground for an employer to argue it almost had just cause for
What is the Employment Standards Act?
The Employment Standards Act (ESA) is the law that establishes important legal rights for most employees in Ontario. It says that employees are entitled to “minimum” work standards that their employers have to satisfy, including: Minimum Wage: most workers must be paid at least the "general"