As a consequence of several strikes in the last few months (notably train strikes), some political parties have suggested to legally define the right to strike and to determine the limits of minimal services in certain sectors, as this is today not legally defined in Belgium.
Jun
19
2015
Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Awards Damages for Injury to Dignity, Feelings and Self-Respect
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario recently awarded $150,000 and $50,000, respectively, in damages for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect to two individuals hired through a temporary foreign worker program that experienced discrimination, a sexually poisoned work environment, sexual harassment, and sexual solicitations in the workplace. This represents the highest amount the Tribunal has […]
Jun
19
2015
Longer Period of Notice for Summer Terminations in Canada
A recent case suggests that the month in which an individual’s employment is terminated may affect the length of the individual’s entitlement to reasonable notice of termination. The case suggested that an employee who had been terminated in June may be entitled to a longer period of notice because hiring decisions may be delayed over […]
Jun
19
2015
Proposed New Legislation with respect to Police Record Checks in Ontario
New legislation has been proposed in Ontario with respect to police record checks. The proposed legislation would limit the amount of information that can be obtained through a police record check to minimize the amount of information that employers, and others, are currently able to obtain through a police record check. The proposed legislation seeks […]
Jun
18
2015
Ontario’s New Action Plan to Ensure Accessibility to Persons with Disabilities by 2025
Ontario released a new action plan to help achieve its goal of being accessible to persons with disabilities by 2025. The three main priorities of the plan include: (1) engaging employers; (2) strengthening the foundation of accessibility in Ontario by building on accessibility laws and standards; and (3) promoting Ontario’s cultural shift through consultation and […]
Jun
01
2015
New Drafts of Royal Decrees to Modify the ‘Bridging Pension’
As regards a hot item in the media, namely the fact that employees on ‘bridging pension’ (unemployment regime with company supplement for older workers) should remain available for work, four drafts of Royal Decrees have been prepared to tone this debate down. These drafts exclude the employees already benefiting from bridging pension of this obligation […]
May
29
2015
New Burdens on the Certification of Employment of Nonimmigrant Workers in Temporary, Non-Agricultural Employment
Note: This is regulatory and not new legislation. The U.S. Department of Labor’s and the Department of Homeland Security’s joint Interim Final Rule (IFR) imposes new burdens on the certification of employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary, non-agricultural employment and stiffens enforcement obligations applicable to employers of H-2B workers and U.S. workers similarly employed. The […]
May
29
2015
New Trend to Give Extra Benefits to Employees that Exercise
Today a lot of Swedes show a great interest for health and physical exercise. An active lifestyle is also encouraged by many of the Swedish employers, and they offer employees benefits such as wellness allowance (which may also be tax-free under certain conditions). A new trend on the Swedish labour market is that some employers […]
May
29
2015
Proposed Legislative Amendments of the Swedish Employment Protection Act May Affect Fixed Term Employment Contracts
Legislative amendments of the Swedish Employment Protection Act (“EPA”) have recently been proposed by the Ministry of Employment that may affect fixed term employment contracts. According to the proposal the fixed term employment will automatically be converted into an employment for an indefinite term in case of a chain of different types of fixed term […]
May
29
2015
The Swedish Labour Court Declared a Non-Solicitation Clause in an Accountant’s Employment Agreement Unreasonable
A Swedish employer may provide protection for customer relations by including a non-solicitation clause in the individual employment agreement to be applied post-termination. However, the enforceability of non-competition clauses post-termination is questionable in Sweden. In a recent case, the Swedish Labour Court (AD 2015 no. 8) declared a non-solicitation clause in an accountant’s employment agreement […]