Not all perks are created equal. If you’re reviewing your benefits package for 2026, here’s what’s actually moving the needle on retention, and what’s legally compliant, simple to administer, and worth the investment.
Ping pong tables, kombucha on tap, and birthday lunches aren’t cutting it anymore, especially for employees who
As your small or medium-sized business grows, you’ll face more complex employment law questions. When those issues arise, one big decision often follows: should you hire an in-house lawyer, or rely on external legal counsel?
While having a lawyer on your payroll may sound convenient, many growing companies find the costs and responsibilities outweigh the
Employment contracts shouldn’t be considered “set it and forget it” documents. With what feels like almost constantly evolving case law, employers need to keep contracts up to date or risk having key provisions thrown out by a court.
If a termination clause is found to be invalid, the promises in your contract (most typically limiting
“Our mental space (i.e. idea space) expands and contracts in direct proportion
Expanding into Canada? Compare Employer of Record (EOR), Professional Employer Organization (PEO), and staffing agencies. Learn which model best fits your hiring, compliance, and payroll needs.
Continue Reading Choosing the Right Employer Service Model in Canada: PEOs vs EORs vs Staffing Agencies
Since the amendment of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) in 2022, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees as of Jan 1 are legally required to implement a written “disconnecting from work” policy. On paper, it sounds like a big shift. In reality, these policies do little for an already flexible or metrics-driven workforce that has moved beyond the traditional Mon-Fri or 9-5 dynamic.
If your business already operates with a flexible, remote or asynchronous model, you might be wondering: Do we still need a formal disconnect policy?
Continue Reading Your Workplace May Be Flexible, But Your Disconnecting Policy Obligations Are NotWhen we meet with employers regarding a needed change or a tough new situation at work, we often find that mention of constructive dismissal can really catch employers off guard. When it comes to constructive dismissal, there’s no termination meeting or official decision by the employer, but the law can still treat the situation as if the employee was fired.
Substantial changes to a job, or a work environment that becomes so bad, the employee feels they have no reasonable choice but to leave, can trigger a constructive dismissal. Ultimately, constructive dismissal creates the same obligations for the employer as a termination, including paying termination pay, severance, and possibly damages to the employee.
Continue Reading Oops, You Might’ve Fired Them: A Constructive Dismissal Reality CheckRemember the online meme comparing “Let’s eat grandma!” with “Let’s eat, grandma!”? Well, here we have the legal version of it.
A judge in Nova Scotia recently invalidated part of an employment contract because it didn’t have a comma. Is that nitpicking, you ask?
Not really, it’s actually important. Here’s why.
The part of the contract in question was the termination clause. Basically, a termination clause dictates what an employee is entitled to when they’re terminated.
The case is named Brocklehurst v. Micco Companies Limited, 2025 NSSC 192.
Continue Reading “Let’s Eat Grandma” – How Commas Can Ruin or Make Your Case (and What To Do About It!)
When it comes to taking time off work in Ontario, many employees (and employers) are confused about the difference between vacation time and vacation pay. Both are mandated by the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), but they are distinct entitlements with different purposes and rules.
Continue Reading Vacation Math: Why Time ≠ Pay Under Ontario’s ESA