SCC Update – Payment of Incentive Bonuses During the Notice Period
On Friday, October 9, 2020 the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision on Matthews v Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd.[1] This decision was highly anticipated for its commentary on long-term incentive plan entitlements.Case SummaryThe appellant, David Matthews (“Matthews”) was employed…
Refusing Unsafe Work in the COVID Era (British Columbia)
Employees have a right to refuse unsafe work, but can an employee refuse to work based on a risk of possible exposure to COVID-19? This article provides a general overview of the grounds for and process of refusing unsafe work…
Transition from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to Employment Insurance (EI)
On August 20, 2020, the Government of Canada announced further details on their plan to transition from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to Employment Insurance (EI). To aid Canadians in this transition, CERB has been extended by an additional…
COVID-19 Emergency Layoff Variance
The BC Employment Standards Act restricts the circumstances when an employer can lawfully proceed with temporary layoffs, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, only permitted eligible employers to temporarily lay-off employees for up to 13 weeks in a period of…
July 2020 COVID-19 Update
UpdatesAs we move further into Phase 3 of British Columbia’s Restart Plan there have been some important changes in the COVID-19 labour and employment law landscape.Employment Standards ActThe government of British Columbia has extended the temporary lay-off provisions under the…
COVID-19 Safety Plans
Phase 2 of the Government of British Columbia’s plan to re-open the province’s economy and businesses commenced May 19 and ended June 23. Phase 3 commenced June 24, 2020. Businesses that decide to open or remain open must adhere to…
Extended Temporary Layoffs due to COVID-19
To provide more flexibility to employers and employees wishing to extend a temporary layoff due to COVID-19, the government of British Columbia has amended the definition of temporary layoff in the Employment Standards Act to increase the maximum length of…
Eight Pulver Crawford Munroe LLP Lawyers Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Congratulations to Susan Arnold, Dean Crawford, QC, Pat Gallivan, QC, Marcia McNeil, Craig Munroe, Paul Pulver, Peter Sheen, and Marino Sveinson for being recognized by their peers and listed in the 2020 Edition of the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. Lexpert…
COVID-19: Details on Canada’s Wage Subsidies
Updated April 24, 2020 Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy As part of Canada’s economic support for businesses and workers facing impacts from COVID-19, the federal government announced the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). The subsidy aims to help businesses avoid lay-offs…
Summary of Income Relief Programs offered by the Federal Government and the B.C. Provincial Government
This article provides a summary of already-established and newly announced programs by the federal and B.C. provincial governments that are available to workers who are experiencing negative impacts to their earnings as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Some…