Employment Law
Do you know your rights and responsibilities as an employee? How about as an employer?
Employment Agreements
Make sure that you have received (or provided) a fair agreement before starting an employment relationship. To minimize misunderstandings and disagreements later in the employment relationship, contact me for advice on employment contracts.
Wrongful Dismissal
There are two ways to dismiss an employee: with cause and without cause. If an employee is dismissed with cause, no payment beyond outstanding wages and vacation pay is owed. If an employee is dismissed without cause, the employer must provide either working notice or payment in lieu of notice, which is also called severance pay.
The Employment Standards Act of BC provides the statutory minimum for notice owed to an employee, and it is dependent on the length of employment. Employees are often entitled to additional notice under the common law, as well as continuation of most benefits during the notice period. For advice on reasonable notice periods, and negotiating with the employer or employee, contact me.
Discrimination in Employment
The Human Rights Code of BC states that an employer must not refuse to employ (or refuse to continue to employ) a person or otherwise discriminate against a person in the employment relationship. The most common grounds of discrimination are physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, and family status.
As an employee, if you feel that your employer has discriminated against you, contact me.
As an employer, contact me if you have received a complaint of discrimination, or need advice on dealing with an employee with a known disability.