The Canadian Labour and Employment Law blog, published by Baker McKenzie, focuses on legal developments and practical guidance related to labour relations and employment law in Canada. It covers topics such as union certification processes, employer strategies for managing union activity, compliance with provincial and federal employment standards, workplace policies, termination and severance issues, pay equity, occupational health and safety, and evolving legislative changes like Ontario's Working for Workers Seven Act. The blog also addresses challenges faced by global employers operating in Canada, including navigating jurisdictional complexities and workforce reductions, providing insights to support compliance and risk management in Canadian workplaces.
Article published on August 26, 2026
Since August 2026, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has revitalized its provincial nomination application streams with the introduction of the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream (OWPS). All former OINP immigration streams have been replaced…
Canada’s employment law landscape continues to evolve rapidly. From new AI disclosure requirements in hiring and expanding pay transparency obligations to increased scrutiny of independent contractors and proposed restrictions on noncompete agreements, employers face a growing web of compliance obligations…
Most franchisors understand that franchisees are responsible for their own employees, and that a specific benefit of this arrangement is that it protects the franchisor from employment-related obligations to the franchisee’s employees. Many franchisors believe that the arrangement completely insulates…
In recent years, provincial legislatures across Canada have increasingly focused on compensation transparency as a tool to address pay disparities in the workplace. While the federal government requires that federally regulated private sector employers across Canada conduct pay equity exercises,…
Key Takeaways
Remote work arrangements may become binding terms of employment when they are applied consistently and relied on by employees. Changes to work location can therefore give rise to a constructive dismissal claim, similar to what can occur when…
Special thanks to our articling student Rana Aly for contributing to this update.
Key Takeaways
Employers often assume that bonus damages in a wrongful dismissal claim will be calculated by averaging the employee’s last three years of compensation. A recent…
We are thrilled to announce that the latest edition of The Global Employer: Focus on Global Immigration & Mobility is now available! This handy, online reference guide is provided complimentary to our client HR and legal teams and includes:
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From ergonomic complaints to fatalities, workplaces inevitably face accidents and other safety incidents. Employers rely on effective investigations to respond to these incidents. Occupational health and safety legislation often also requires employers to investigate, either explicitly or implicitly, as part…
Employee monitoring tools — badge and access logs, video surveillance, productivity and activity tracking, and even biometrics — can strengthen security and operations, but they also create real privacy, employment, and (in some cases) criminal-law risk. In this installment of…
Special thanks to our articling student Rana Aly for contributing to this update.
Quebec’s multi‑year modernization of its occupational health and safety (OHS) system reached full implementation in late 2025. There are permanent prevention and participation mechanisms under the Act…
