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The holiday season is a time when many employers want to show appreciation to their employees. Gift cards are a popular and convenient choice for recognizing hard work and spreading some seasonal cheer.

But employers need to be aware of the employment and tax implications of gifting gift cards, especially here in Canada. Missteps can result in unintended financial consequences for both the employer and the employee.

If you’re planning to hand out gift cards this year, here’s what you need to know.Continue Reading Keeping Gift Giving Jolly: How Employers Can Avoid Tax Surprises

With Halloween officially behind us, it’s time to pitch the pumpkins, finish up that leftover candy, and pack up the spiderweb decor for another year.

But beyond leftover treats and lingering decor are there any ghosts and goblins lurking that might keep things a little too spooky during the upcoming holiday season? By proactively addressing some key issues in the workplace employers are in a much better position to keep spooky season where it belongs and focus instead on the bright times of the upcoming holiday season. Continue Reading Keeping Spooky Season Where it Belongs: Essential Tips for a Smooth Holiday Season

Have you ever wondered if there’s a way to defend against Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) charges beyond the usual due diligence defence?

It turns out, that there is—a little-known and often misunderstood defense called Officially Induced Error (OIE).Continue Reading Further Defenses to OHSA Charges: Officially Induced Error

Ontario’s employment landscape has shifted significantly with the introduction of the new licensing regime for temporary help agencies (THAs) and recruiters. This change, effective from July 1, 2024, mandates that all THAs and recruiters operating in Ontario must hold a valid license. Employers need to understand these changes, their implications, and the risks of non-compliance to ensure their operations remain legally compliant.Continue Reading Understanding Ontario’s New Temporary Help Agency and Recruiter Licensing Regime: What Employers Need to Know

In workplace safety, adherence to the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) is paramount. Welcome to the third blog in our OHSA series. Discover how previous regulatory convictions impact sentencing for new OHSA violations. Read our previous blogs here and here.

Convictions for violations of Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) frequently result in significant fines for both corporate entities and individuals. Furthermore, individual defendants may face incarceration if the breaches in question involve significant aggravating factors.Continue Reading How do prior regulatory convictions affect sentencing outcomes for new OHSA violations?

In the world of employment law, terminations tend to steal the spotlight. But what about when the employee is the one ending the employment relationship?

Here is an overview of the law of resignation, and what employers need to know when they receive an employee’s “two weeks’ notice”. Continue Reading Employee Resignations: The Basics

As lawyers who practice for both employers and employees, we know that terminations are rarely pleasant for anyone involved.

After all, as the Courts have acknowledged, employment is an essential component of identity, self-worth and emotional well-being. More recent Court rulings have reminded us that the manner in which employment can be terminated is equally…