Canada: Employment and HR

Toronto property owners face a significant and growing municipal tax obligation that has caught many off guard — the Vacant Home Tax, commonly referred to as the VHT.

Navigating employee dismissals in Canada involves understanding statutory requirements, common law principles, and human rights obligations. This guide explores the legal framework employers must follow when managing without-cause dismissals, just-cause terminations, and workforce reductions to minimize risk and ensure compliance.

In its decision in Kadler v. West Fraser Mills Ltd., 2026 ABCJ 28, the Alberta Court of Justice discussed the reciprocal obligations held by workplace parties when an employee is absent from work.

Ontario employers face a complex web of workplace compliance requirements that scale with their workforce size. From mandatory policies and training programs to safety committees and public postings, understanding which obligations apply at each employee threshold is critical for legal compliance and effective risk management.

Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas is less an anti‑technology statement and more a reminder of something employers sometimes overlook: the workplace is not a values‑free zone.

An Alberta court case examines whether whistleblower investigations can maintain witness anonymity while still providing respondents a fair opportunity to defend themselves. The decision establishes a framework for balancing confidentiality protections with procedural fairness requirements, analyzing five key factors that determine when identifying information must be disclosed to those facing allegations.

On April 15, 2026, the federal government tabled draft regulations on the use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses (proposed regulations).[1] These proposed regulations follow the enactment of the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act (UFPBA),[2] which received royal assent on June 20, 2023. As explained in our previous articles on Bill C-13, the UFPBA imposes new language rights obligations on federally regulated private businesses (FRPBs).

Il s’agit d’une décision importante pour les employeurs, les promoteurs de régimes, les syndicats et les conseillers en avantages sociaux. Cette décision confirme qu’une limite fondée sur l’âge prévue par un régime d’avantages sociaux véritable ne cesse pas d’être légalement valide du simple fait que d’autres modèles de régimes, possiblement moins discriminatoires, pourraient exister.

In Okanagan College, 2026 BCLRB 39, the B.C. Labour Relations Board considered whether a long-term disability plan that ended coverage at age 65 was protected by the bona fide group or employee insurance plan exception under section 13(3)(b) of the B.C. Human Rights Code.

Navigating employee dismissals in Canada involves understanding statutory requirements, common law principles, and human rights obligations. This guide explores the legal framework employers must follow when managing without-cause dismissals, just-cause terminations, and workforce reductions to minimize risk and ensure compliance.

In its decision in Kadler v. West Fraser Mills Ltd., 2026 ABCJ 28, the Alberta Court of Justice discussed the reciprocal obligations held by workplace parties when an employee is absent from work.

The Ontario Superior Court's decision in Pascuet v. Sky Service reaffirms that employees cannot delay wrongful dismissal claims by pursuing actions in incorrect jurisdictions or misunderstanding legal responsibility. This ruling clarifies that the two-year limitation period begins at termination, regardless of whether an employee initially files in the wrong court or fails to appreciate the legal significance of their dismissal.