Alberta Court finds in favour of employer after employee refused to comply with mask policyIn Benke v Loblaw Companies Limited, 2022 ABQB 461, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta weighed in on the effect of an employee’s unpaid suspension, as a result of his failure to follow a COVID-19 masking policy, on the... |
Alberta Human Rights Commission dismisses complaints about mandatory mask policiesCompanies in Canada have had to take unprecedented measures to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 18 months. While provincial and municipal governments have at times made it mandatory for people to wear face coverings while in indoor... |
Episode 8: What employers need to know about workplace COVID-19 vaccination policiesIn this episode, we discuss the critical issues you need to think about before rolling out a COVID-19 vaccination policy at your workplace. |
Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, 2020 passed in AlbertaOn December 9, 2020, Bill 47: Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, 2020, received Royal Assent and became law in Alberta (the “Act”). The Act makes a number of amendments to workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety legislation... |
Proposed changes to workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety legislation in AlbertaOn November 5, 2020, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 47, Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, 2020 (the “Bill”). The stated purpose of the Bill is to: (i) make workplace safety laws easier to understand without making substantive... |
Bill 32: Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act passedOn July 29, 2020, Bill 32: Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act, 2020, received Royal Assent and became law in Alberta (the “Act”). The Act makes a number of significant changes to labour and employment legislation in Alberta, including changes... |
Bill 32: Alberta’s proposed Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces ActOn July 7, 2020, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 32: Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act, 2020 (the “Bill”). This Bill proposes to amend Alberta’s Employment Standards Code and Labour Relations Code. The stated purpose of the Bill is... |
COVID-19 related temporary layoff period extended again for Alberta employeesPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta’s Employment Standards Code, RSA 2000, c E-9, stated that employees who were temporarily laid off for one or more periods exceeding, in total, 60 days within a 120-day period were deemed to have been... |
A streamlined approach to emergency benefits for workers in the wake of COVID-19In the preceding weeks, nearly one million Canadians have applied for employment insurance benefits (“EI”) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The system is overwhelmed by the high volume of applications. In response, and as part of its economic... |
A word of caution for employers: human rights in the hiring processWhile many employers understand that it is illegal to discriminate against current employees on the basis of grounds protected by human rights legislation, it is also important to note that applicants are afforded the same protections. A recent decision by... |
Changes to Employment Laws in Alberta: The Passage of Bill 2 and New RegulationsOn May 29, 2019, we provided an overview of Bill 2: An Act to Make Alberta Open for Business, which was introduced by the United Conservative Party (“UCP”) in Alberta shortly after the party came into power earlier this year.... |
Suncor Saga Update: Suncor’s Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy will be Sent Back to ArbitrationIn our last update on the ongoing legal saga between Suncor and Unifor, Local 707 (the “Union”), the majority of the Alberta Court of Appeal had upheld an injunction that prevents Suncor from carrying out random drug and alcohol testing... |
Alberta Court of Appeal Upholds Interim Ban on Random Drug and Alcohol Testing by SuncorAs promised in our last report on the long and winding legal road travelled by Suncor in its effort to implement random drug and alcohol testing at its mine site north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, this communique will provide an... |
Checking In After a Few Months of Living with the Alberta Employment Standards Code ChangesA few months in to adjusting to Alberta’s Employment Standards Code changes, Alberta employers are continuing to review and revise existing policies and procedures to ensure they are in compliance with the new legislation. Changes with respect to general holidays... |
