Supreme Court of Canada Considers Duty to MitigateMay an employer fire an employee without cause, and then avoid paying damages by offering him temporary work? ‘Yes, sometimes’ declared the Supreme Court of Canada in Evans v. Teamsters Local Union No. 31 in a 6-1 ruling released in May 2008.Background FactsMr. Evans worked as a business agent for the Teamsters for twenty-three years. He was dismissed following the election of new union leadership. Mr ...
On July 17, 2008, the Supreme Court of Canada in Hydro-Québec v. Syndicat des employé-e-s de techniques professionnelles et de bureau d'Hydro-Québec, 2008 SCC 43 clarified that there are limits to the employer’s duty to accommodate ...
Driving is the most dangerous work activity that most people undertake. An average 20 people are killed and 250 seriously injured every week in crashes involving someone who was driving, riding or otherwise using the road for work purposes. Up to a third of road accidents involve someone who was driving at work. Health and safety law applies equally to on-the-road work activities, and the risks should be managed within an effective health and safety system ...
"Shouldn't you be at work?" - sports presenter Des Lynam's famous words during the BBC's World Cup 98 coverage may well be repeated by many an employer over the next week or so. For as the Beijing Olympics reach a crescendo, businesses are once again facing up to the challenges posed by a major sporting event. But there are ways to ensure that the 29th Olympiad does not add to the headaches being suffered by credit-crunched employers ...
The Chinese insurance market has grown considerably after China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. For example, China’s annual premium income has increased from 210.9 billion yuan in 2001 to 703.6 billion yuan in 2007 and for the first half of 2008 insurers in China have collected premium income of 561.79 billion yuan which exhibits continuing growth ...
In this October edition of Pensions Bulletin we consider a recent Government paper on surplus payments and highlight that schemes must take action if they wish to preserve a power to pay surplus to a sponsoring employer in the future. We also comment on the impact of the latest developments in the Sea Containers case on the use of the Regulator's power to issue Financial Support Directions ...
With the UK economy continuing to be buffeted by the storm of the global financial crisis the effects are starting to be felt nearer to home in the "real" economy. For many businesses slashing costs is now a priority and, sadly, that often includes making staff redundant ...
In May 2008 the government of the Republic of Indonesia issued Government Regulation No. 39 of 2008 regarding the Second Amendment to Government Regulation No. 73 of 1992 regarding Insurance-Related Business Activities (Usaha Perasuransian) in order to anticipate the developing national insurance-related industries, including, among other things, insurance companies (perusahaan asuransi) ...
As reported in our September WortHReading, if you want to employ workers from outside the Economic European Area or Switzerland ("migrants") after 27 November don't forget that the new points-based immigration system will be up and running and you will need to become a licensed sponsor to do so. An employer without a sponsorship licence, but which employs migrants, will be acting illegally ...
In Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police v Homer, Mr Homer argued that he could not obtain a degree in time to benefit from it financially before he retired aged 65, but younger employees would be able to and the policy was therefore indirectly discriminatory on the grounds of age ...
Many employers are rightly concerned about the significant amounts they are required to pay to the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail in respect of employment injuries sustained by their employees. The general rule underlying the financial system of the regime is that the cost of benefits paid following an industrial accident sustained by an employee is imputed to his employer’s account, irrespective of whether the employer is at fault ...
The various amendments recently made to the Act respecting labour standards(1) (hereinafter the “ARLS”) essentially apply to the following:• the introduction of a new type of authorized leave for employees who are also reservists of the Canadian Forces and take part in operations;• the clarification of the concept of spousal cohabitation especially with regard to leave for family or parental reasons;• details on the advance notice to be given by employees who want to take pat
Pat McFadden, the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs, has confirmed that the extension of the right to request flexible working to parents of children up to the age of 16 will be implemented in April 2009, as planned ...
In August 2009, the Court of Appeal issued a judgment(1) in which it ruled on the foll owing interesting practical issues relating to liability insurance:1) what is the appropriate procedural vehicle for a liability insurer to exercise recourse against another insurer in situations where there is overlapping insurance?2) does the exception respecting members of the household of the insured (article 2474 C.C.Q ...
On 10 November 2008, BAPEPAM-LK issued Regulation X.E.1 concerning the obligation of securities companies to submit periodic reports. This Regulation X.E.1 replaces a regulation issued in 2006 and is basically intended to improve the provisions of the previous regulation, especially on the procedures for submission ...
Decree of the Minister of Finance No. 424/KMK.06/2003 (as amended) which contains the guidelines on the financial condition of insurance and reassurance companies has been further amended by Regulation of the Ministry of Finance No. 158/PMK.010/2008 ...
The Act to protect persons with regard to activities involving firearms and amending the Act respecting safety in sports(1) was assented to on December 13, 2007(2) and came into force on September 1, 2008. This Act was passed in the wake of the tragic events that occurred at Dawson College in September 2006, when a young 18-year old woman named Anastasia De Sousa lost her life in a shooting incident, hence its name, the “Anastasia Act” ...
On June 2, 2008, following the hearing of six cases (1) at the same time, the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that section 114 of the Labour Code grants exclusive jurisdiction to the Commission des relations du travail to hear complaints made under section 124 of the Act respecting Labour Standards ...
In the current economic downturn it seems that industrial relations are once again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Recent "wildcat" strikes over the use of foreign labour suggest a trend towards more militant attitudes within the workforce and the possibility of greater industrial unrest. The UK's labour laws are very complex ...
I. IntroductionIt has been over 4 years since the Constitutional Court’s ruling on 26 October 2004 which declared that Article 158 and other relevant articles of the Manpower Law in relation to serious misconduct were against the Indonesia Constitution and therefore were not legally binding. The legal effect of the ruling was that an employer cannot immediately terminate an employee for serious misconduct ...
The shifting of the burden of proof is an issue of great concern for suppliers when involved with litigation over product liability ...
Insurers have lodged a Judicial Review against The Damages (Asbestos-related conditions) Scotland Act. The Act, which was passed on 17 April 2009, made compensation available for the victims of pleural plaques in Scotland. The insurers are bringing the action in an attempt to avoid having to pay compensation for this condition ...
The High Court has held that in certain circumstances, an employee has the right to be represented by a lawyer at internal disciplinary hearings. The Employment Relations Act 1999 gives employees a statutory right to be accompanied only by a work colleague or union official at disciplinary and grievance hearings. The good practice recommendations in the new ACAS Code on Disciplinary and Grievance in the Workplace reflect this ...
On 6 April 2009 the Mandatory Dismissal and Disciplinary Procedures and Grievance Procedures (the statutory procedures) will be Repealed when Relevant Provisions of the Employment Act 2008 Come Into Force. It is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the most eagerly awaited changes to employment law for many years, and it is all but impossible to find anyone who doesn't view this as a positive development ...
