Atlantic Employers’ Counsel – Summer 2015
THE EDITORS’ CORNER
Aaah, summer – that long anticipated stretch of lazy, lingering days, free of responsibility and rife with possibility. It’s a time to hunt for insects, master handstands, practice swimming strokes, conquer trees, explore nooks and crannies, and make new friends.
– Darrell Hammond
Of course, all these exciting activities should be pursued during non-work hours. But is that always what happens?
SICKNESS, SICKNESS EVERYWHERE, NOR ANY CURE IN SIGHT
Peter McLellan, QC and Michael MacIsaac
Benjamin Franklin once said that a person should “be not sick too late, nor well too soon.” However, what happens when an employee is sick too soon and well… well, never?
That was precisely the question an arbitrator in British Columbia was forced to confront in Loblaws Cos. and UFCW, Local 247 (P.J.)), Re, [2014] B.C.W.L.D. 2088. A unionized employee was terminated for non-culpable absenteeism after she missed between 10 per cent and 17 per cent of her work days over a roughly three year period, beginning in 2010.
10 TIPS TO HAVING AN ATTENDANCE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WORKS
1. Commitment to attendance management as an organizational tool
Even the best attendance management plans, drafted with great care and attention to the most up-to-date principles, often fail. They fail because there is essentially no commitment to them by senior and middle management. Before the development of an Attendance Management Plan (“AMP”), the work begins with the internal management meeting where the managers are briefed on the costs to the organization of the excessive absenteeism rates.
NEW TERRITORY IN HUMAN RIGHTS – WHEN SHOULD YOU ACCOMMODATE AN EMPLOYEE’S CHOICE TO BREASTFEED?
An employer’s “duty to accommodate” is a continually evolving – and sometimes confusing – area of the law. While accommodating employees with a disability is typically familiar territory for many employers, the legal obligation regarding accommodating on the basis of “family status” is still emerging. It is simple enough to state that an employer may not discriminate on the basis of family status, but what that means is far from settled.
MANAGING CHRONIC ILLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE – CONSIDERATIONS AND STRATEGIES
Employers who deal with management of medical conditions and/or disabilities in the workplace know that each issue must be dealt with individually with particular attention to the specific facts and circumstances of the case. Managing chronic illness (i.e., those that are persistent, recurring and long-lasting) at work can be particularly challenging for employers due to the nature of the condition, changes in symptoms and the degree or frequency of recurrence.
Archive
Harold Smith, QC and Chelsea Drodge Background On September 29, 2020, the government introduced Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day…
Read MoreRichard Jordan The federal election will be held on Monday, September 20, 2021. Under s. 132 of the Canada Elections Act (“Act”), every employee who is an elector (i.e. a Canadian citizen and 18 years…
Read More*Last updated: September 9, 2021 (originally published September 3, 2021) Katharine Mack The Nova Scotia government announced earlier today, September 3, that it would annually recognize September 30 as Truth and Reconciliation Day, beginning in…
Read MoreEmployers are navigating uncharted territory when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, from employee health and safety, to workplace policies, privacy and human rights concerns, a panel of Firm lawyers sit down and explore the complicated…
Read MoreKevin Landry and Annelise Harnanan (summer student) Recently, the Advisory Committee on Open Banking released the Final Report of the Advisory Committee on Open Banking, (“Report”) confirming its intention to implement a broader, more modernized…
Read MoreKathleen Nash In a recent decision, McCallum v Saputo,¹ the Manitoba Court of Appeal confirmed that an employer does not have a “free-standing, actionable duty” to investigate an employee’s conduct prior to dismissal.² The Court of Appeal held…
Read MoreBrendan Sheridan The Government of Canada is undertaking a phased approach to re-opening the international border. While the government has had limited exemptions to the travel prohibitions throughout the pandemic, the loosening of the restrictions…
Read MoreKevin Landry On August 3, 2021 the Canadian Securities Administrators (“CSA”) announced plans to combine the Investment Industry Regulation Organization of Canada (“IIROC”) with the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (“MFDA”). This move will…
Read MoreJohn Samms, with the assistance of Olivia Bungay (summer student) In a recent decision, S.D. v Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority, 2021 NLSC 100, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador denied the Plaintiff’s application…
Read MoreRichard Jordan and Folu Adesanya The 2021 Nova Scotia general election will be held on August 17, 2021. With the election looming, many Nova Scotians will be wondering the same question: “Am I entitled to…
Read More