This article is part of a series of educational blog posts created by a team of Watson Goepel women lawyers in light of International Women’s Day 2023, to empower, celebrate, and encourage women in Canada.   This article addresses the questions that many women and many employers might be interested to know about the workplace laws surrounding abortion in…

This article is part of a series of educational blog posts created by a team of Watson Goepel women lawyers in light of International Women’s Day 2023, to empower, celebrate, and encourage women in Canada.   International Women’s Day is an important day for us women lawyers, as it celebrates the achievements and contributions of women to the world,…

Increasing demand for remote work has presented new challenges for businesses, particularly where it comes to recording time for work completed.  While time theft has historically been difficult for employers to prove, the rise of remote work has ushered in new methods such as activity tracking software which has simplified the employer’s ability to prove…

Employees and self-employed persons who contribute to Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) plan will now have access to expanded EI sickness benefits. Those who made their claim on or after December 18, 2022, may receive up to 26 weeks of EI sickness benefits, extended from the previous limit of 15 weeks.   EI Sickness Benefits are…

It’s hard enough dealing with the medical symptoms of illness or injury which are preventing you from working – the last thing you need is the added anxiety of facing an unclear insurance claims process. The process can be so stressful for some claimants that they simply give up and therefore miss out on many…

Both provincial and federal governments continue to update legislation and programs introduced this year in response to COVID-19. This blog post highlights some of the recent changes. Temporary Layoffs in B.C. Under the Employment Standards Act, RSBC 1996, c. 113 (the “Act”), as long as an employer has the contractual authority or the employee agrees…

** This article does not contain legal advice. There can be legal differences across industries and jurisdictions (i.e. federally versus provincially regulated workplaces). In addition, employee contracts can vary the suggestions set out in this article. Please consult with counsel before you implement any new strategy which deviates from your current policies and procedures.** The…

All workers have the right to a healthy and safe workplace. As such, they have the right to refuse unsafe work – in other words, they may refuse work that they believe has the potential to harm themselves or others at the worksite. In B.C., the work refusal process is set out in the Occupational…

On March 27, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada would be creating a 75% wage subsidy for all employers who can demonstrate a reduction in revenue of 30% or more due to COVID-19.  This benefit has since been named the “Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy” or “CEWS”. On April 1, 2020, Ministers Bill Morneau, Mary…

The global pandemic has forced workplaces around the world to adapt very quickly to the current crisis. It is critical that during this unprecedented event, employers set out written expectations for their employees. Whether it is meeting the challenge of working from home, or setting guidelines for employees who continue to attend on-site as permitted…