Administration
Administrative Structure
The Employment Standards Branch, the Director of Employment Standards and the Employment Standards Tribunal are the agencies responsible for the administration of the Employment Standards Act.
Termination Without Cause: Determining Reasonable Notice
An employee is entitled to a certain amount of notice (or pay in lieu of notice) when their employment is terminated without cause. Terminating an employee without just cause can be complex. Employers should be careful in making determinations about the amount of notice provided to a terminated employee in order to avoid claims for wrongful dismissal.
Absenteeism: Have the Presence of Mind to Control It
When you have an employee, there is an inherent agreement between the two of you. It states that the employee will come to work when scheduled and perform specific tasks to satisfaction. As the employer, you will provide safe working conditions and pay fairly for their labour. Whether written in a contract or not, this agreement constitutes an obligation that both parties must adhere to. Each must respect the other and fulfil the terms that have been agreed upon. Often, an employee who is dissatisfied with their place of work, or feeling over-worked or under-appreciated, will start missing shifts or arriving late on a regular basis.
Affordable Ways to Boost Employee Happiness, Loyalty and Motivation
No matter if a large size company or a small family business, having a team of motivated, hard-working employees is crucial to your business success. When your staff loses motivation, however, their job performance suffers — they become less productive, less creative, less engaged, less of an asset to the company. The bottom line: You pay a heavy price when employees have motivation issues.
Avoiding Employee Engagement Pitfalls
Employee engagement is dropping around the world, according to recent statistics. The proportion of organizations with falling engagement scores tripled over a two-year period, and nearly 50 per cent of 900 organizations surveyed internationally saw a significant drop in employee engagement — the largest decline in 15 years of employee-engagement research.
Compensation is More Than Just a Pay Cheque
Compensation refers to all forms of pay and rewards received by employees for performance in their jobs, including all forms of cash, benefits, services and perks. It is important to recognize and communicate the total compensation to your employees. This should be done so that the value of what you are offering in compensation is clear and thus attracts and retains the people you need.
Compensation Philosophies Are Not Just For Large Companies
Compensation philosophies are not just for companies with hundreds of employees and a structured corporate environment. Instead, they are a practical addition to organizations of any size, including small to medium businesses.
Prohibition of Mandatory Retirement
Effective January 1, 2008, the definition of age in the Human Rights Code changed from “an age of 19 years or more and less than 65 years”, to “an age of 19 years or more”. The effect is to provide employees with the choice of whether to continue working past age 65 and to allow claims of discrimination in employment if employees are required to retire at age 65.
Supreme Court of Canada Expands Application of Constructive Dismissal Doctrine
In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada revisited the law on constructive dismissal, which has had significant consequences for employers.
Just Cause and Performance Management: A Legal Perspective on Employee Dismissal
The message from the courtrooms is crystal clear: when it comes to establishing just cause for performance-based concerns, effective performance management programs are critical. Employees must be given clear direction, clear warnings and opportunities to improve.