Could #MeToo happen in your organization? Consider a Human Rights workshop

February 8th, 2018 by Celia Chandler

From Hollywood to Queen’s Park, every employer is thinking about how to make sure that employees are free from sexual harassment in the workplace.  This includes non‑profits which employ staff.  And it goes double for housing providers which must make an environment free from harassment and discrimination  for their employees and for their tenants or co‑op members.  No easy feat.  Our clients are educating themselves to be on top of this stuff.

Last weekend I spent a couple of hours with a housing co‑op board in Brampton delivering a workshop on human rights and the duty to accommodate;  next week I’m off to a Hamilton co‑op to do the same, this time for the board, staff and interested members.

If you’d like someone from our firm to come to your next board meeting for training on human rights or any other area of law where we practise, please ask.   We think our fees for these tailor‑made presentations are pretty reasonable.  And you know what they say ‑‑ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The Supreme Court of Canada extends protections from employment discrimination by non‑employers

February 6th, 2018 by Elliot Fonarev

The Supreme Court of Canada has recently released a decision regarding workplace discrimination that has important implications for employers and employees alike. In British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal v. Schrenk, the 6‑3 majority of the court ruled that a co‑worker can be held liable under BC’s Human Rights Code for workplace discrimination against another co‑worker. While this case was about the jurisdiction of the BC Human Rights Tribunal and interpretation of BC’s Human Rights Code, it sends a message to other provincial tribunals about how to approach discrimination in the employment context differently – and leaves many questions for employers. Continue reading “The Supreme Court of Canada extends protections from employment discrimination by non‑employers”

Signing on to silence: Confidentiality agreements in sexual assault cases

January 29th, 2018 by Michael Hackl

This article was first published on rabble.ca

The case of Larry Nassar, who for years was a doctor for Michigan State University and the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Olympic team, and who has pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct, is truly disturbing. In the sentencing phase of the trial, 156 victims made statements to the court about the impact of his acts on their lives.

This case also drew attention to situations where an attempt is made to silence victims through a non disclosure or confidentiality agreement. One of Nassar’s victims, McKayla Maroney, reached a settlement with USA Gymnastics (USAG) in December, 2016, which included such an agreement, prohibiting her from speaking about any abuse she suffered at the hands of Nassar. The confidentiality agreement also contained a provision that if Maroney violated the agreement, USAG could “fine” her US$100,000. This raised the question of whether she would, or could, make a victim impact statement at Nassar’s sentencing hearing. Ultimately, USAG confirmed that it would not seek to enforce those provisions if Maroney made a victim impact statement.

As a result of USAG’s decision, in this case the confidentiality agreement will not have prevented Maroney from speaking out. But what about other victims who have signed confidentiality agreements in the course of settling sexual assault claims, in cases when the other party to the settlement agreement will not agree to waive the confidentiality agreement? Are those persons free to speak without any repercussions? Unfortunately, in Canada, the answer is not clear. Continue reading “Signing on to silence: Confidentiality agreements in sexual assault cases”

Free co-buying workshop: Jan 25th

January 2nd, 2018 by Iler Campbell

Co-buying is becoming an increasingly common means of accessing the real estate market for those who might otherwise not be able to afford a house of their own. A house co-purchased with with friends, acquaintances or family members can have segregated living spaces with all the privacy of apartment style living. Others might structure their co‑ownership with communal living ideals in mind – complete with shared household responsibilities. No matter how you do it, there are many considerations that go into co-buying a home.

Join us on Thursday, January 25, at the Centre for Social Innovation’s  Annex location for a discussion on what it takes to make housing co-ownership work.

We ran a similar workshop a year ago that sold out so be sure to claim your spot soon: See full details and register to attend here.

Our panellists are:

Safia J. Lakhani and Lauren Blumas
Lawyers, Iler Campbell LLP

Lesli Gaynor
Sales Representative with the Fridman Team
Forest Hill Real Estate Inc.

Lesley Tenaglia
Mortgage Agent – License # M10002427
Ultimate Mortgage and Finance Solutions Inc.

 

Changes to Parental Leave Benefits for workers in federally‑regulated companies

January 2nd, 2018 by Elliot Fonarev

On December 5, 2017, changes to the Employment Insurance Act that were introduced in Bill C-44, the Budget Bill Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1, came into place. Employers may find the new changes will require amending existing leave policies and collective agreements to reflect the impact on top‑ups, or supplementary benefits to benefits claimants.

The changes apply to new claims for maternity, parental, and caregiver leave. Continue reading “Changes to Parental Leave Benefits for workers in federally‑regulated companies”

Iler Campbell in 2017: A to Z

December 21st, 2017 by Iler Campbell

We’ve put something special together to celebrate the end of the year. Check it out!