Investigating workplace harassment
As Ontario employers are aware, the Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out the obligations of employers when it comes to workplace safety. OHSA contains specific provisions which deal with how employers must deal with workplace violence and harassment, including a mandatory investigation provision for workplace harassment.
Simes Law
6 minutes read
May 9, 2023 
The future of bonus clauses
As employers know, the specific language of an employment contract has a significant impact on what is owed to an employee at the end of the employment relationship. Among the most important clauses in the employment contract are the termination clause, and language around an employee’s entitlement to receive their bonus after termination.
Simes Law
Was Silicon Valley Bank a failure of risk management?
I have seen some unfortunate postings on social media and in the news. Self-appointed experts telling us what happened, why, and whose fault it was. There’s a political battle going on as well, with people blaming federal government administrations, regulators, and so on. I’m not going to get into that. But I think it is important for governance, risk, and audit practitioners to understand the situation and its implications.
Norman D. Marks, CPA, CRMA
Everything employers need to know about joint health and safety committees for both in-office and remote workplaces
It’s not groundbreaking news that employers have an obligation to keep their employees safe and free from harm while at work or that all workplaces must abide by various legislations, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). One crucial, and sometimes mandatory, element to assist in providing greater protection against workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths are Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC). This is an important refresher on an employer’s obligations surrounding these committees, whether your workplace is in-office, hybrid, or remote.
SpringLaw
How to prevent (ex) employee disclosure or misuse of confidential information
Be it confidential client records, marketing strategies, unpublished patent applications, or source code, employees in Canada have a common law duty to maintain the confidentiality of confidential information
SpringLaw
The investigation is complete, so what now?
Taking steps to restore relationships and the workplace is necessary to diffuse interpersonal tension and conflict so that a psychologically safe and healthy work environment can be restored.
Belle Yuan, HR consultant, Strategywise HR
Ensuring fairness and thoroughness in workplace investigations
In continuation from Part 1 of our blog series on how best to approach harassment complaints, we will now focus on stage 2 of the process as we examine how best to conduct a fair and thorough investigation, following a workplace complaint.
Belle Yuan, HR consultant, Strategywise HR
How much should a Canadian registered charity spend on administration?
In our article, How much should a Canadian registered charity spend on administration (2022), we discuss how CRA has not provided guidance as to the acceptable amount that a Canadian registered charity can spend on administrative expenses
Occasional Contributors
Decisions clarify the duty to mitigate
Job loss almost always comes as a shock. Many people define themselves by their job — when this disappears, it takes part of their identity. Luckily, job loss does not usually mean an immediate loss of income, since most dismissals involve some financial payment (usually referred to as “severance”).
Rudner Law, Employment / HR Law & Mediation
