Labour & Employment

  • July 08, 2026

    The U.S. O-1 visa: Best paths for extraordinary foreign nationals

    Many professionals assume that United States immigration law reserves the O-1 visa category for globally recognized figures whose accomplishments are widely known outside their respective fields. This perception is often supported by the public attention given to entertainers, athletes and outstanding entrepreneurs who have obtained O-1 classification.

  • July 07, 2026

    Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador invest $10M for tariff-impacted workers

    Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador have announced an agreement investing $10.6 million over three years for workers whose jobs have been impacted by global tariffs.

  • July 07, 2026

    B.C. college eases licensing rules for some foreign-trained doctors

    The body regulating B.C.’s doctors has updated its bylaws to streamline the process of allowing internationally trained physicians to practise in the province. The amendments approved by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) include changes to licensure eligibility requirements, which allow internationally trained physicians from select jurisdictions to be eligible for the full class of licensure if they meet certain requirements.

  • July 07, 2026

    Vacation pay and the reasonable notice period: Where Canadian courts stand

    When a court awards damages in lieu of reasonable notice, should the award include vacation pay that would have accrued over the notice period?

  • July 07, 2026

    Not all roads lead to wage-loss benefits: Thomas v. WorkSafeNB

    In this case, a former paramedic, Travis Thomas, developed PTSD after repeated exposure to traumatic events during his employment. When Thomas applied for compensation, he argued that PTSD had disabled him in 2014, while he was still working as a paramedic, and that his wages should be calculated using his paramedic salary.

  • July 07, 2026

    Feds launch consultations for Budget 2026

    The federal government has announced the launch of online and in-person consultations for Budget 2026 ahead of its delivery this fall.

  • July 06, 2026

    Prime minister appoints new chief justices of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice & Federal Court

    Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed new leaders to head two of Canada’s major trial courts. On July 6, Justice Alan Diner was appointed chief justice of the Federal Court, the national superior trial court that decides disputes in the federal domain. He succeeds Paul Crampton, who retired from the post Oct. 31, 2025.

  • July 06, 2026

    Ottawa looking for additional input on changes to federal labour policy

    Canada’s government is holding another round of consultations on revamping labour relations policies for workers in federally regulated industries — this time with a focus on grievance arbitration, bad faith bargaining, and strikes and lockouts. In a July 3 news release, Ottawa announced that “additional consultations will take place over the summer” in a bid to further “protect the rights of … workers, including the right to strike.”

  • July 06, 2026

    Prioritizing mental health while building a successful legal practice

    Maintaining mental health in the legal profession is not a luxury; it is a professional imperative. As lawyers, we operate in an environment defined by deadlines, fiduciary obligations and the constant pressure to deliver high-quality work. Yet the demands of practice, especially in an era of remote work and constant digital connectivity, can blur the boundaries between our professional and personal lives. Without deliberate effort, the job has a way of following us home, settling into our routines and quietly eroding our well-being.

  • July 03, 2026

    Canada ratifies protocol for U.K.’s accession to Pacific trade pact

    The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will come into force between Canada and the United Kingdom on Sept. 1, Global Affairs Canada says.

  • July 03, 2026

    Court dismisses multiple appeals in labour contempt case over working hours

    The Federal Court of Appeal has largely dismissed seven appeals in a case in which an employer was found in contempt for not adhering to an arbitral order to cut employee hours.

  • July 03, 2026

    Milestones and practice: Commentary on the IBA’s Canada report on women and equality

    The International Bar Association’s (IBA) recent report marks a meaningful demographic milestone: women now form a majority of the Canadian legal profession. Combined with the historic female majority on the Supreme Court of Canada, it signals progress that deserves recognition.

  • July 02, 2026

    Canada, B.C. partner to fast-track energy and trade corridors

    Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby have signed a new Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement to speed up construction of major energy and trade corridors. They will also establish a new National Carbon Credit Framework and Oceans Protection Plan.

  • July 02, 2026

    Faster criminal & child welfare cases, more family law settlements among reforms led by new SCC judge

    The Supreme Court of Canada’s newest judge says his key areas of legal expertise are constitutional and criminal law, including the rules of evidence and procedure, though he has also presided over many civil and administrative law cases in his generalist trial court. Glenn Joyal, a former federal and Manitoba prosecutor and the longtime chief justice of the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, was elevated by the prime minister to the top court on June 30, succeeding Supreme Court Justice Sheilah Martin of Alberta, the highly respected constitutional and criminal law litigator, academic and judge who retired from the bench May 30.

  • July 02, 2026

    B.C. highlights Trade Recognition Act, infrastructure approval reforms in annual regulatory review

    Legislation to boost interprovincial trade, reforms to streamline project approvals and reduced regulatory requirements are helping lower costs and improve productivity in British Columbia, according to the province’s annual Better Regulations for British Columbians report released on June 30.

  • July 02, 2026

    A Ukrainian lesson for lawyers

    Well, not exactly a lesson in the language or culture, although a tip of the hat is due to a host of Ukrainian-Canadian lawyers, not the least of whom were my former partner Ron Tomosk and the brilliant jurist John Sopinka.

  • June 30, 2026

    Women now a majority in legal profession, but barriers to equality persist: international report

    The ranks of Canada’s bench and bar numbered slightly more women than men last year, yet many female jurists still reported gender-based and sexual harassment at work and don’t “feel seen as equals to their male colleagues,” according to a new report from the International Bar Association (IBA). The IBA’s investigation into the state of gender parity in Canada’s legal profession reported on June 30 that women make up 53 per cent of lawyers overall — with half of these working in senior positions as lawyers and partners, among the organizations surveyed.

  • June 30, 2026

    P.E.I. schools adopt new sexual misconduct policy — as called for in report

    Public schools in P.E.I. have adopted a new sexual misconduct policy in a bid to better protect students by focusing on prevention, early intervention and a uniform complaints process.

  • June 29, 2026

    Northern premiers call on Ottawa to invest in infrastructure, stronger workforce

    Premiers from Canada’s territories are calling on the federal government to invest in infrastructure and workforce development to build a “strong and resilient North” in the face of global economic uncertainty.

  • June 29, 2026

    McInnes Cooper expands into Ontario through acquisition

    Atlantic Canada’s McInnes Cooper is expanding into Ontario with the acquisition of Toronto-based corporate immigration firm Kranc Associates, the firm says.

  • June 26, 2026

    Ontario revamps immigrant nominee program for labour needs

    Ontario is reforming a program that allows the province to nominate individuals for permanent residence in Canada to meet changing labour market demands and address workforce shortages.

  • June 26, 2026

    Community legal information project: Bringing access to justice to the streets

    Graham is in his 50s, he’s disabled and uses a wheelchair. A resident in a shelter for homeless people, Graham desperately needed legal information help. Our team of community justice helpers met with him many times, and we were able to answer to his questions. Now every morning, he and I greet each other as I head off to work.

  • June 25, 2026

    New Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario practice direction on jurisdiction must be reconsidered

    Earlier this year, the Divisional Court of Ontario found that procedures adopted by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) to determine its jurisdiction were unreasonable and contrary to law.

  • June 24, 2026

    Clark Wilson adds Tyler Williamson in Vancouver

    Tyler Williamson has joined Clark Wilson as an associate in its employment and labour group in Vancouver.

  • June 24, 2026

    First Nations make $700M government-backed investment in Darlington nuclear project

    Seven Williams Treaties First Nations are investing $700 million in Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) through a government-guaranteed loan that will convert into an equity stake once all four reactors are completed.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Labour & Employment archive.