Helping Employers Understand the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
On April 11, 2020, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2, which includes the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (the “CEWS”), received Royal Assent and is now available to employers. We […]
Substance Over Form in the Enforcement of Franchisees’ Statutory Rescission Rights: the Anomalous Case of Notice by Pleading
In a decision released on March 23, 2020,[1] the Ontario Court of Appeal favoured substance over form in finding that a franchisee could properly discharge its obligation to give written […]
WeirFoulds mourns the loss of Partner, friend and colleague, Michael McQuaid
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Partner, friend and colleague, Michael McQuaid. Mike passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 4 following a period of […]
Ford Government Tightens Lockdown on Ontario Businesses: New Truncated List of Essential Workplaces Released
On Friday April 3, 2020, the Ontario provincial government released a new, truncated list of essential workplaces exempted from the mandatory emergency closure order. This measure was made in conjunction […]
Daniel Wong speaks with Huffington Post about employee safety during COVID-19 pandemic
Daniel Wong, chair of WeirFoulds’ Employment Law Group, spoke with the Huffington Post about employee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rights of both employers and employees. In the […]
The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy: What All Employers Need to Know
On April 1, 2020, Finance Minister Bill Morneau provided details regarding the federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy that was initially announced on March 27, 2020. Consistent with promises made […]
WeirFoulds lawyers start #CommunityOverCOVID movement to donate would-be lunch money to local food bank
While many professionals have started working from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic, local food banks are struggling to keep up with demand. Health Canada has issued a statement encouraging Canadians […]
Navigating Ontario’s Closure of Non-Essential Businesses
On March 24, 2020, the Ontario provincial government passed Regulation 82/20 under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. This regulation ordered the closure of all “non-essential” businesses beginning at […]
Tax-Effective Charitable Giving: RRSPs and RRIFs, Public Securities and Life Insurance
While the most common method of philanthropic giving is a gift of cash, Canadians should note other options for giving to charity both during their lifetimes and after death. Structuring […]
A Novel Type of Leave in the Wake of COVID-19: The Ontario Government’s Changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000
On March 19, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 186, the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Infectious Disease Emergencies), 2020 (”Bill 186”). The Act amends […]
Keeping the Lights On: Preventing and Responding to Work Refusals in the Wake of COVID-19
While some employers have chosen to temporarily suspend operations, or have been ordered to do so, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many others, will do their best to remain […]
A Shot in the Arm: Canada Announces Sweeping Stimulus Measures to Assist Employees and Businesses
In the last two days the federal and Ontario provincial governments have announced proposed substantial emergency legislation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 16, 2020, Ontario’s provincial government […]
COVID-19 – Taking Action Together
The last two weeks have been unprecedented for every person and business in Canada. In line with growing public health advice and reaffirmed by our Prime Minister yesterday, we have […]
Preparing Your Workplace to Respond to COVID-19: Questions and Answers for Employers
The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and in Canada the various levels of government in each jurisdiction have taken significant steps to control and contain the spread […]
COVID-19 – An Update for our Clients and Community
In light of the continued spread of COVID-19 and more recently, the ‘global pandemic’ declaration by the World Health Organization, we at WeirFoulds have been taking various precautionary measures and […]