Ontario Providing More Support for Families
Back in March, 2013, I wrote about what job protections are available when a family member gets sick and you need to take leave from work. Currently, if a family member is terminally ill, an employee is entitled to 8 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave. This is called “Family Medical Leave”.  An employee who takes Family […]
Victims of the OC Transpo/Via Rail crash and their families are eligible for Accident Benefits.
Those individuals injured on the OC Transpo bus on Wednesday September 18, 2013 and the families of those who lost their lives are eligible to apply for and receive Statutory Accident Benefits or “SABS”. These benefits may include death benefits, income replacement and medical/rehabilitation benefits. Due to the priority payment rules in the Insurance Act, […]
Companies will be fined under Criminal Code if found liable for worker injury or death
Workers safety is paramount – see the below article written by  Lisa Stam on her blog “Employment and Human Rights Law in Canada” for a breakdown of a recent decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal regarding the safety of workers: Criminal Code Convictions for Worker Safety Yesterday, the Ontario Court of Appeal tripled the fine […]
Court Sends Message: Being Able to Work Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You’re Living a Normal Life…
Under the Accident Benefits regime in Ontario, if you are employed at the time of your accident you are required to elect whether you wish to make a claim for non-earner benefits or income replacement benefits. For most claimants it would make sense to elect income replacement benefits. However, for some claimants the line becomes […]
The Price of Breaking Promises in Settlement Agreements
Breaking a promise to keep the terms of settlement confidential can mean having to give settlement money back. For some employees, the legal documents that they are asked to sign after the parties have agreed to a dollar value to settle a claim for wrongful dismissal can seem like “mere details”. Employees who sign such settlement […]
Wal-Mart Fires Employee – Pet Lovers Beware
On July 11, 2013, Carla Cheney, a Wal-Mart employee in Kemptville, Ontario, was fired from her job after she confronted a customer who had left a dog in his truck before she commenced her shift. Later that day, she was fired. Wal-Mart stated that the “associate was absolutely not let go for trying to help […]
Double-check your emails before pushing “Send”! You might have an employment issue on your hands…
Whether we like it or not, most of us find ourselves spending a significant part of our work week receiving and responding to e-mails. It might be to set up an appointment with a client, ordering stock from a supplier, or even sharing a joke with a colleague.  However, sometimes in an attempt to be […]
Motor Vehicle Accidents in Ontario
Ontario has a two-pronged system for compensating people who are injured in motor vehicle accidents. It is a mixed fault/no-fault system. The no-fault component is referred to as the Accident Benefits claim. The fault component is referred to as the Tort claim. A tort claim may be available in cases where the accident is the […]
When is a Minor Injury not a Minor Injury for Accident Benefit purposes?
Entitlement to medical and rehabilitation services changed for persons injured in motor vehicle accidents after September 1, 2010 (see Ontario Regulation 34/10). As of this date, persons who suffer a ‘minor injury’ in an automobile accident are subject to the Minor Injury Guideline and the benefit limits set out in the regulation. Essentially, persons who […]