Blog for Employers
We would love to become your “go-to” law firm for employment related matters. Our lawyers are very knowledgeable in this field and can assist employers with all types of employment matters, including advice when the need arises to terminate or lay-off an employee. We can also assist you in developing employment contracts that include non-competition clauses, non-solicitation clauses, confidentiality provisions, non-disclosure agreements, severance limits, stock options, etc. We can also develop your company’s employee handbooks, policy manuals, etc.
We invite you to review some of our blog posts on these subjects below and encourage you to keep watching, as new ones will be posted on a regular basis.
Employment terms and avoiding a constructive dismissal
Changing your employee’s pay, schedule, benefits, position, duties, or other work terms? Here is how you can avoid a constructive dismissal claim. If you are an employer changing an employee’s work terms, you need to [...]
Clarification on differing treatment of discrimination based on family status
The recent BC Supreme Court case of Gibraltar Mines Ltd. v Harvey, 2022 BCSC 385 provides some clarity to how the issue of discrimination based on family status may be handled in the employment context [...]
UPDATE- Temporary layoffs and the Employment Standards Act of B.C.
May 6, 2020 By: Azadeh Taghizadeh, Daniel Sorensen and Lawrence Smith The British Columbia government has extended the temporary layoff period to 16 weeks under the Employment Standards Act (“Act”) to financially help businesses and [...]
WHAT BUSINESSES NEED TO KNOW DURING COVID-19
March 31, 2020 By: Azadeh Taghizadeh, Daniel Sorensen and Lawrence Smith Temporary Wage Subsidy I. What is it? Many employers do not have the means to be able to continue paying their employees as [...]
COVID-19: A GUIDE TO WORKPLACE LAW FOR EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES
March 22, 2020 By Daniel Sorensen and Lawrence Smith, Partners The ongoing COVID-19 health crisis has led to staff shortages, reduced hours, and business closures across British Columbia; leaving many employers unsure of their legal [...]
Would you consider yourself to be a Family Person?
November 5, 2019 By Brian Grootendorst, Daniel Sorensen and Lawrence Smith Two related topics that have come up recently are “what sort of questions can I ask, or should I avoid when interviewing a new [...]
Possible changes to the British Columbia Employment Standards Act
May 6, 2019 - By Azadeh Taghizadeh, Lawrence Smith and Daniel Sorensen As the world around us advances, so does the workplace and so should our employment laws. There is no doubt that today’s economy [...]
PROBATION – WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS? WHAT ARE MY OBLIGATIONS?
Blog Post by Michael Truong, Lawrence Smith and Daniel Sorensen Sorensen Smith LLP, Legal Counsel April 5, 2019 Employers and employees often misunderstand what their respective rights and obligations are when it comes to [...]
WHEN INJURY, ILLNESS AND/OR DISABILITY CAN TERMINATE AN EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP
Blog Post by Sebastian Chern Lawrence Smith and Daniel Sorensen January 31, 2019 A FRUSTRATING SITUATION: WHEN INJURY, ILLNESS AND/OR DISABILITY CAN TERMINATE AN EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP One of the most trying and difficult scenarios in [...]
The Employer’s Duty to Investigate
When does a duty to investigate exist? What does a workplace investigation require? By Daniel Sorensen In many instances, employers are not required to investigate matters. However, employers should be aware of situations where they [...]
Changing Terms of Employment and Constructive Dismissal
By Michael Truong and Daniel Sorensen If you are considering changing an employee’s work terms you may be faced with an unintended case of constructive dismissal and be liable for damages. Constructive dismissal signifies an [...]
Election Day is October 19, 2015 – can my employees take time off from work to vote?
By Daniel Sorensen Are your employees entitled to have time off in order to vote in the upcoming federal election? You may be surprised to hear that the answer is often yes. Under the [...]