October 2016

As some of the recent cases we talked about on this blog illustrate (link to article about De Anna Granes), in addition to facing long hours, and strenuous working conditions, workers in the service industry can also often face harassing behaviour from their superiors. While some workers are able to obtain damages for injuries to their dignity and self-respect, many more continue to struggle with harassment due to fear of losing their jobs, or perhaps insufficient knowledge about their rights as employees. We find that often employees themselves believe that such behaviour is the norm and that dealing with it…

The recent decision of Keenan v. Canac Kitchens (Keenan), confirms that dependant contractors are entitled to reasonable notice of employment termination. The required notice period can extend to years, and such as in this case, amount to 26 months. In Keenan, two long-term contractors of a kitchen cabinet manufacturing firm, with a total of over 50 years of experience with the company, were dismissed without notice. The pair were first hired as employees, but were later told that they would be classified as contractors, and signed new agreements for this purpose. They were required to use their own cars as…