Accommodation is an equality concept that, when implemented in the workplace, can help eliminate barriers and encourage participation by employees regardless of race, colour, age, sex, physical or mental ability. For employers, the duty to accommodate may seem daunting. Understanding what’s involved and how to comply is a key part of ensuring a safe, respectful workplace that is free from human rights violations
Advances in medical care allow each generation to live longer than the last, and that means that each generation tends to wait longer for an inheritance. As baby boomers reach retirement age, their parents may just be reaching the end of their days.
The federal government has tabled a bill in the Senate that will make a number of important changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA), the Canada Cooperatives Act, the Competition Act, and the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.
For small- and medium-sized business owners, the question often arises of whether or not they should incorporate. As the Globe and Mail points out, as businesses grow, the benefits of incorporation tend to become more obvious.
Restrictive covenants, such as non-compete and non-solicitation clauses, have become increasingly common among Canadian businesses in recent years, as the Globe and Mail reports. Non-competition clauses, specifically, are now an important element of many employment contracts in both British Columbia and throughout the country.
The Supreme Court of Canada recently issued a major ruling concerning commercial contract law. The ruling settles a longstanding issue before both courts and businesses about the extent to which parties to a contract are expected to act honestly and in good faith – even when the contract itself does not stipulate a duty of good faith. While a duty of good faith has already been recognized in specific areas of commercial law, the recent ruling now requires a general duty of good faith in all commercial contracts.
The controversial Canadian anti-spam legislation (CASL) has created plenty of headaches for small businesses in the past year, and the problems will likely grow as the second phase of the law comes into effect in January. The CASL is an important piece of legislation that affects most business, yet it is still clouded in confusion and misunderstanding. Since the fines for violating the CASL can be immense (up to $10 million), it is vital for business owners to ensure they are complying with the law.
The B.C. Ministry of Justice is currently seeking feedback from the public and stakeholders on the province’s proposed B.C. Franchises Act, according to the Globe and Mail. If passed into law, the act would bring B.C. law in line with the franchise laws already enjoyed by other Canadian provinces and the U.S. Analysts say the law, which primarily affects disclosure rules, should be welcomed by both franchisors and franchisees.
Canadian businesses will need to begin preparing for a significant increase in activist shareholder actions, according to the Financial Post. Shareholder activism, a phenomenon that has thus far largely been concentrated in the U.S., has been steadily growing in Canada in recent years, and due to favourable regulations here that trend will likely continue.
