Canadian businesses, non-profit organizations, or charities who have seen a drop in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a new subsidy to cover part of their commercial rent or property expenses. The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (“CERS”) replaces the previous rent support program for businesses. Unlike the previous program, CERS…

When incorporating a new business, budget-conscious entrepreneurs typically, and understandably, focus on minimizing costs. While many free or low-cost online legal resources promise bargain prices, bypassing qualified and tailored legal guidance to help with your specific needs often leads to significant problems down the road, and can result in substantial costs and expenses that could…

On Saturday, November 7th, B.C.’s top health officials announced broad new COVID-19 restrictions which aim to slow the recent surge in new cases across the lower mainland.  These restrictions will be in place from November 7th to November 23, but this period may be extended.  In an apparent effort to mitigate the economic effects of…

In August the B.C. government implemented changes to the Workers Compensation Act through Bill 23, which received Royal Assent on August 14, 2020. Several notable changes were introduced; one of these changes widened the “Occupational Disease” framework to capture COVID-19 infection in certain circumstances. Workers Compensation Act Section 238 now reads: (1) Subject to subsection…

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…

In its decision in GLAS Americas LLC v DionyMed Brand Inc., 2020 BCSC 367, the BC Supreme Court considered whether a charging order can be granted to lawyers outside of BC. A US law firm (Buckley LLP – “Buckley”) was retained by a BC company (DionyMed Brands Inc. – “DMB”) and its US subsidiaries to…

On 30 June 2020, the Business Corporations Act will be amended to introduce a new type of company called a “benefit company”.  While there are legitimate concerns as to whether this new type of company is actually needed, the concept could provide a lucrative marketing opportunity for many B.C. businesses. What are benefit companies? Benefit…

** 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…

Business owners are scrambling to understand the numerous and evolving support programs offered by the Federal and BC Provincial governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. To help make sense of it all, Associate Cameron Funnell has created an at-a-glance ‘COVID-19 Benefits for Businesses’ cheat sheet that clearly breaks down the various programs, the criteria for each,…