Sexual harassment at work is a form of discrimination under human rights laws, and recent significant awards from the Alberta Human Rights Commission should encourage employers to address this behaviour in the workplace.The Alberta Human Rights Act (the Act) protects Albertans from … [Read more...]
Shaping Employment Law: 6 Ontario Court of Appeal decisions in 6 months
The courts continue to shape employment law, and six decisions of the Ontario Court of Appeal from January to June of 2025 clarify the law on enforcing contracts, mitigating losses, fiduciary duties and termination clauses.In the first half of 2025, the Ontario Court of Appeal issued a series … [Read more...]
Don’t Leave Pay Behind: Know your rights under Alberta’s employment standards laws
Alberta’s Employment Standards Code sets out minimum standards employers must follow about minimum wage, minimum hours of work, overtime hours and pay, and more.Alberta’s Employment Standards Code (the Code) sets out the minimum standards that employers must provide to employees in Alberta. … [Read more...]
2024 Employment Law Alberta Year in Review
In 2024, Alberta courts decided on important employment law issues, including streamlined trials, employees as fiduciaries, just cause for dismissal, drug testing polices, non-compete and non-solicit injunctions, and more.This article summarizes some important employment law decisions in … [Read more...]
Privacy and Medical Information in the Workplace
How can we balance an employer's right to know about illness or disability and an employee's right to privacy?EDITOR'S NOTE A version of this article first appeared in LawNow in 2019. It has been reviewed for legal accuracy in 2024 by the author.Requesting medical information from … [Read more...]
Strategies for Success: A better path to preventing workplace sexual harassment
Studies show traditional models of anti-harassment education don't work, so AASAS developed Engagement Strategies Toward Ending Workplace Sexual Harassment, a better path to workplace sexual harassment training.What comes to mind when you think of workplace sexual harassment … [Read more...]
2023 Employment Law Alberta Year in Review
This past year, the courts have left us important employment law decisions about fiduciary liability, mitigation, overtime, non-solicitation clauses, injunctions, just cause, summary judgment and CERB deductibility.This article is a short summary of some important employment law decisions in … [Read more...]
Alberta’s New Harassment Tort
In June 2023, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta recognized a new harassment tort that allows those experiencing harassment to sue for damages in civil court.When I say “torts”, you probably think of a delicious dessert. In law though, the word has a slightly different meaning!Tort … [Read more...]
Working Interviews in Alberta: What employers and job seekers need to know
Sometimes employers ask job applicants to perform tasks without payment as part of the hiring process. But are these working interviews legal in Alberta?There’s a growing trend in Canada for employers to conduct “working interviews” as part of their hiring process. This involves an employer … [Read more...]
Workplace Sexual Harassment: Reporting options
The Workers' Resource Centre's Workplace Sexual Harassment Advisory Program aims to educate survivors on options for reporting sexual harassment in the workplace.Sexual harassment occurs at work, often without acknowledgement, and leaves workers with lasting impacts. It creates unsafe and … [Read more...]
