Alberta Human Rights Tribunal cracks down on workplace discrimination with highest general damages award to date
A recent decision by the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) has sent a clear message that it will not take sexual harassment in the workplace lightly. In Oliva, Pascoe, and Strong v Gursoy, 2024 AHRC 45, three complainants (the […]
Alberta Court finds in favour of employer after employee refused to comply with mask policy
In 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 policies
Companies 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 policies
In 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 Alberta
On 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 Alberta
On 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 passed
On 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 Act
On 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 employees
Prior 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-19
In 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 […]
