Atlantic Employers Counsel – Winter 2014
The Termination Meeting:
A time and a place for everything
The decision has been made, but the ship hasn’t yet sailed. Somebody has to deliver the bad news and as difficult as this might be, there are a couple of things employers will want to know about before going into the meeting. Here are some practical tips to reduce potential risk associated with the termination meeting.
structure
When an employee is terminated, the question often arises about the tax treatment of amounts paid to the employee. Structuring can allow employers to provide different benefits to the employee without increasing the overall cost to the employer. Possible strategies include characterization and timing.
References, Reasons and Releases
After termination, these three words beginning with the letter “R” can raise serious issues for both the former employer and the departed employee. This article addresses some of the issues involved with writing references, reasons and releases from a management perspective.
Disability and Other Leaves of
Absence: Employee status at time
of termination
You’ve made the decision, but before you communicate it to the employee you receive a note from a doctor putting the employee off work for medical reasons. Or, the employee arrives at your door ecstatic because she’s pregnant and going on maternity leave. What happens when a leave of absence occurs before you say “so long” to the employee. Some general rules and tips from recent cases follow.
Contractual and otherwise
When assessing what type of termination package to offer an employee or what the employer’s liability for damages is, non–salary compensation can become an issue. Typically, this compensation may include stock options, stock grants and bonuses. If not resolved at termination (or shortly thereafter) a determination of “qualification” or “what it’s worth” can contribute to prolonged and protracted issues between parties. You can guess what that means. This article discusses what you need to know to provide a fair and reasonable termination package when it comes to non-salary compensation.
Investigations, Documentation and
the Termination Letter
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – cross your “t”s and dot your “i”s when it comes to workplace investigations and documentation. If you don’t, the matter may come back to bite you in a lawsuit. The following is a general overview of why a proper investigation and documentation of key items are so important.
Archive
Ruth Trask and John Samms Newfoundland and Labrador employers who continued operations this spring during Alert Levels 4 and 5 of the COVID-19 pandemic should take note of a new program offered by the provincial…
Read MoreChristopher Marr, TEP & Lauren Henderson As defined benefit pension plans (“DB Plans”) throughout Canada continue to face funding challenges due to mounting solvency deficits, the New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission (“FCNB”) is…
Read MoreJennifer Taylor The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has acknowledged the ongoing impact of systemic racism against African Nova Scotians in an important decision on the Land Titles Clarification Act (“LTCA”). The case,…
Read MoreEffective July 1, 2020, the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) was officially replaced by the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (“CUSMA”). Like NAFTA, CUSMA contains provisions for the temporary entry of foreign “business persons” to Canada…
Read MoreKillian McParland and Jennifer Thompson In a decision released earlier today, Uber Technologies Inc. v. Heller¹, the Supreme Court of Canada determined that an agreement requiring Uber drivers to go to arbitration instead of suing…
Read MoreStephanie Stapleford, Mike Carver, Matthew Craig, Kimberly MacLachlan and Christine Pound Part 2: Electronically-Signed Share Certificates The COVID-19 crisis, and federal, provincial and local government directives for individuals to continue complying with social distancing policies…
Read MoreJoe Thorne and Kara Harrington Vexatious litigants are a category of persons who misuse the court process through repeated improper, abusive, and/or meritless proceedings. Vexatious litigants may take many forms, but ultimately they are a…
Read MoreWe are pleased to present the sixth issue of Discovery, our very own legal publication targeted to educational institutions in Atlantic Canada. During these unprecedented times, universities and colleges are encountering unique challenges of working…
Read MoreTwila Reid and John Samms On Friday, June 12, 2020, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced it has extended the time period under section 50 of the Labour Standards Act (“the Act”) that converts…
Read MoreKathleen Leighton Those who have vacation homes or cottages in Canada may be starting to form their summer plans as temperatures begin to rise. However, the ongoing pandemic has resulted in a host of…
Read More