Mississauga Employment Law Blog

The applicable jurisprudence on mitigation makes it clear that following a wrongful dismissal, if an employee declines a job, then the monies that would have been earned through performing the rejected job may well be deducted from any damages ultimately obtained by the plaintiff. But what about earnings from a second job or a side job? When an employee consults on the side or has a side job that is continued into the post-termination period, will this count as mitigation income? 

As Ontario employers and employees know, the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the "ESA") was recently amended by Bill 148 introducing a number of sweeping changes. Most of those changes have already come into effect, such as the increase of the minimum wage to $14 per hour effective January 1, 2018. Other changes are being introduced at a later date such as an employee having the right, without fear of reprisal, to request changes to their work schedule or location if they've been employed for 3 months.

One change has already been reversed and this will affect employees' take-home pay.

In a very recent decision, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ("HRTO") ruled that it was unconstitutional for an employer to terminate the benefit plans of an employee who turned 65.

Talos v Grand Erie District School Board involved an employee whose extended health, dental and life insurance benefits were terminated by his employer, Grand Erie District School Board, when he turned age 65, although he continued to work on a full-time basis. After the termination of his benefit plans, Mr. Talos brought an application alleging discrimination on the basis of age. The issue was whether the exception contained in s. 25(2.1) of the Human Rights Code permitting the termination of employee benefits at age 65 violated Mr. Talos' equality rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The HRTO held that s. 25(2.1) of the Code violated the Charter and was unconstitutional.

In AB v Joe Singer Shoes Limited, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ("HRTO") awarded $200,000 to an employee for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect resulting from repeated sexual assault and harassment. This is one of the HRTO's highest damage awards.

The employee immigrated to Canada from Thailand in 1979 and obtained her first job in Canada working for Joe Singer, since deceased, at Joe Singer Shoes Limited. Joe Singer was the father of Paul Singer, the alleged perpetrator of the sexual assault and harassment. Paul Singer became the employee's boss after the death of his father. Sometime after the employee and her husband separated in 1989, the employee moved into an apartment above the store where she worked. Her landlord was a company owned by Paul Singer.