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Beginning in Fall 2024 and continuing into January 2025, the Canadian government implemented its plan to effect measures addressing the…

Effective January 1, 2025, workers who suffer psychological injuries caused by workplace harassment arising from or in the course of employment…

In today’s workplace, every employee likely has equipment to secretly record their workplace conversations – including those with their…

Updated March 4, 2025. If your business could be affected by the U.S. tariffs against Canada, you might be thinking about employee layoffs as…

While 2024’s legal learnings will leave a lasting impression on employers, with the arrival of 2025 the time is right to look ahead – and…

How a social enterprise is legally structured can greatly influence the types of capital available to it and how the organization can operate…

Achieving the goal of Permanent Residency is competitive. How can you improve your chances? Join McInnes Cooper Immigration Lawyers Meghan Felt…

As 2024 draws to a close, the time is right to look in the rearview mirror and reflect on the key labour and employment law learnings that will…

Understanding the taxation of Indigenous Peoples’ governments and structuring of their economic development initiatives is more relevant than…

Social host liability for injury to a third party – and coverage of social host liability claims – isn’t straightforward. Social host…

Disputes between shareholders of a corporation, and shareholders and their corporation, are stressful and complicated, and often attract…

Effective September 1, 2024, amendments to the Nova Scotia Workers’ Compensation Act allow workers to be compensated for gradual onset stress.…

Permanent Residency is the ultimate goal for many immigrants to Canada, from temporary foreign workers to international students. How do you –…

The nature of the construction industry, especially when it comes to seasonal work and where the labour needs and costs must be estimated in…

The duty to accommodate is a legal duty human rights laws impose on employers – but it’s not written down or described in human rights…

When an employee seeks accommodation of a disability, either physical or mental, the duty to accommodate is nuanced by both the employer’s…

Canadian businesses need foreign workers to address labour and skills shortages. Yet the Canadian government is taking steps to reduce the…

Effective October 1, 2024, public and private Prince Edward Island employees will be entitled to up to three paid sick days per calendar year.…

On April 30, 2024, the Ontario Divisional Court decided the victim of a serious cyber security incident was required to produce to privacy…

Using written employment contracts is a good start – but it doesn’t mean they will be enforceable. Courts interpret employment contracts to…

Whether you’re entering the Canadian market by setting up a subsidiary or a branch office, you’ll need to staff your new operations up. And…

Provincial minimum wage rates continue to climb in Canada. Provincial minimum wage legislation across Canada, including in the Atlantic Canadian…

Many international companies set up shop in Canada through branch offices or subsidiaries. Many of these companies are looking to staff up their…

In its February 2024 decision in Dufault v. The Corporation of the Township of Ignace, the Ontario Superior Court voided yet another contractual…

It used to be that an employee dismissal resulted in a single wrongful dismissal claim (if anything) against the employer. These days, an…

Francophone immigration is a key and permanent priority for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). On January 16, 2024, IRCC…

While 2023’s legal learnings will leave a lasting impression on employers, with the arrival of 2024 the time is right to look ahead - and get…

Updated May 8, 2024. Canada’s labour and skills shortage continues – and so does the immigration solution. Canada’s ambitious…

As 2023 draws to a close, the time is right to take a look in the rearview mirror and reflect on the key labour and employment law learnings…

Updated February 11, 2025. On September 12, 2023, the New Brunswick Court of Kings Bench sentenced a front-line supervisor who “did…

Can a business providing both exempt supplies and taxable supplies of goods and services claim Input Tax Credits (ITCs) under the Excise Tax Act…

You’ve experienced a workplace accident that’s resulted in serious injury to, or worse the death of, an employee. Do you need legal counsel…

Owning your own business offers many opportunities. But it also carries inherent risks, including exposure to personal liability. These three…

Canada’s first Tech Talent Strategy aims to aggressively attract tech talent to “fuel innovation and drive emerging technologies forward”.…

Effective June 23, 2023, Section 45(1.1) of the Competition Act makes it a criminal offence for all unaffiliated employers to enter into…

Many Canadian employers continue to be challenged not only with hiring the right number of people, but with finding candidates with the right…

Employees used to gather around the water cooler to share views on controversial issues, discuss co-workers and complain about their employer.…

While the December 2021 Bill C-223, An Act to Develop a National Framework for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income seems to have died in both…

The benefits to employees, and often to employers, of remote work has made it a staple of today’s workplace. But the move to remote work…

A Will is a key ingredient of any estate plan - and one of the most important documents a person ever signs. It allows a person to control how…

Updated April 16, 2024. On February 15, 2023, an adjudicator ordered an employer to pay what could be the “largest employment…

Immigration continues to play a key role in addressing Canada’s labour and skills shortage. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada…

Updated May 8, 2024. On July 1, 2023, the Nova Scotia Medical Certificates for Employee Absence Act took effect. The Act regulates workplace…

NOTE: On December 19, 2023, the N.B. Court of Kings Bench upheld the adjudicator’s decision. On February 15, 2023, a New Brunswick…

Updated Feburary 9, 2024. On January 1, 2023, the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act and accompanying…

All businesses need written contracts. Determining what written contracts are essential depends on many factors, including the nature of the…

2022 left important lasting implications for employers. With 2023 here, it’s time to look ahead to key issues that will affect employers in…

Many Canadian employers continue to be challenged not only with hiring the right number of people, but with finding candidates with the right…

Updated July 7, 2023. Bill 24 An Act to Amend the Business Corporations Act effected significant amendments to the New Brunswick Business…

In November 2022, the Ontario Court of Appeal definitively decided an organization whose information systems are breached by a malicious third…

Updated January 31, 2025. Beginning December 31, 2022, certain owners of residential property in Canada are required to annually report and…

2022 is in the rearview mirror, but the past year left lasting implications for employers. Here’s a retrospective on five of the key 2022…

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) began as a pilot program in 2017, and became a permanent federal immigration program in 2022. While the…

Updated September 5, 2024. The COVID-19 pandemic drove remote work to unprecedented heights. Employee calls for greater flexibility, and cost…

On November 10, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada examined the interaction of arbitration and bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings, deciding a…

Finally closing on October 27, 2022, the tumultuous Elon Musk/Twitter M&A deal drama has been unfolding for months, with both sides making…

Climate migrants aren’t yet arriving on Canadian shores en masse - but the growing number of extreme weather events in Canada and around the…

Updated August 10, 2023. Canada’s Express Entry system, introduced in 2015, has been a successful and well-received innovation. It’s…

The Supreme Court of Canada’s “Jordan” framework, introducing strict timelines for determining unreasonable delay in the context of…

The current labour crunch is only strengthening the business case for building a workplace that’s welcoming to diverse employee pools –…

Updated July 28, 2023. Effective June 1, 2022, Bill 119 amended the P.E.I. Employment Standards Act to add new pay transparency provisions.…

The COVID-19 pandemic is (arguably) gone but the pre-pandemic labour crunch - for both white and blue collar workers - is back. And there’s no…

On May 22, 2010 (affectionately known as “Bitcoin Pizza Day”), a Floridian bought two Papa John's pizzas with Bitcoin. The day is famous…

We updated this publication on March 1, 2023. On January 1, 2022, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program became the permanent Atlantic…

The COVID-19 pandemic changed many aspects of the workplace for good – but pre-pandemic labour shortages isn’t one of them. While the…

While the Canada emergency response benefit (CERB) has ended, the focus on the concept of a universal or guaranteed basic income the COVID-19…

On March 18, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed that an Indigenous government can still satisfy the impecuniosity requirement for an…

In February 2022, thousands of people led by a convoy of trucks (many displaying company logos) from across Canada congregated in Ottawa and…

On April 1, 2022, changes to the Newfoundland and Labrador Corporations Act proposed in Bill 24 An Act to Amend the Corporations Act will take…

Updated June 17, 2024. On May 17, 2022, the P.E.I. Non-disclosure Agreements Act took effect, significantly restricting the use of…

On January 26, 2022, the British Columbia Court of Appeal extended an injunction preventing protesters from interfering with a logging…

More and more people are using smart contracts: the global smart contracts market was valued at USD $145M in 2020; it’s projected to be valued…

Updated October 7, 2024. The name of the game is to have a plan to mitigate the risk that a data breach will happen – but be ready when it…

Updated July 17, 2024. On October 22, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified that labour arbitrators have exclusive jurisdiction over…

Updated December 14, 2022. COVID-19 has been changing Canadian workplaces for 18 months. For some employees, the pandemic led to a shift to…

On July 29, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada refined the test for determining when a plaintiff has discovered a claim for the purpose of a…

Canadian entities regularly contract with foreign companies to provide services in Canada. To complete its obligations under the contract, the…

Updated February 9, 2024. It’s now widely accepted: it’s imperative that workplaces be both diverse and inclusive. Perhaps the most oft…

As of January 1, 2021, federally regulated employers (such as banks, telephone and cable systems, most federal Crown corporations,…

Many businesses with industrial and commercial equipment rely on foreign workers to provide emergency repair or installation services, both for…

Estate planning is a customized process; the goal is to create a plan that’s best for a person’s unique situation. And while all estate…

An ever increasing number of people originally from China now reside in Canada. It is more important than ever to recognize and understand the…

Well-drafted, properly implemented written employment contracts are a key tool to avoiding or resolving disputes during and at the end of…

Termination clauses, particularly “without cause” ones, are among the most important clauses to include in any employment agreement. But the…

An economic downturn can result in an M&A uptick: there can be more attractive targets on the market, and sellers can be more motivated to…

Updated January 16, 2025. Spurred by the COVID-19 Pandemic and bricks-and-mortar closures, businesses – from SMEs to multinationals,…

This publication has been updated as at July 9, 2021. For some time, every Prince Edward Island employer has been required to comply with…

For business owners, estate planning is directed at protecting the business’s legacy as well as the financial security of both family members…

Updated March 7, 2025. Estate planning is directed at protecting your assets and your loved ones from creditors and unnecessary income tax or…

On October 9, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada delivered its decision in Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. on whether a former employee…

Updated November 21, 2024. The rapid adoption of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) principles and the growth of mandatory disclosure…

This publication has been updated as of May 5, 2021. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led many employees to continue working from home, by…

On June 26, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada released Uber Technologies Inc. v. Heller, a much-awaited decision regarding the enforceability of…

The financial technology (Fintech) industry uses technology to support and enhance financial and banking services.

This publication has been updated as of May 10, 2022. The Prince Edward Island Office of Immigration requires designated employers to file a…

Effective December 1, 2019, the New Brunswick government will finally finalize the reform of N.B.’s money judgment enforcement regime with the…

“Do the unexpected. Take 20 minutes out of your day, do what young people all over the world are dying to do: vote.” Rick Mercer (hailing…

This publication has been updated as at July 9, 2021. Violence and harassment is an unfortunate reality of society – and of the workplace.…

Updated May 2, 2024. Canadian provinces are looking to immigration as a solution to labour market shortages, and the health sector is no…

Updated May 18, 2023. The Global Talent Stream is a central pillar of Canada’s Global Skills Strategy. Initially launched as a two-year…

Updated September 19, 2024. Like it or not, Canadians live life online. More people - and more employees - are sharing more information,…

Updated July 10, 2024. If you “own” a company incorporated under either the Canada Business Corporations Act or under the corporate…

Updated September 6, 2024. Growing a business takes people. In early days, many companies have just one “employee”: the owner or founder.…

We updated this publication on July 9, 2021. As of April 1, 2019, employers of New Brunswick employees must comply with new occupational…

We updated this publication on May 18, 2023. There’s no shortage of warnings of a worker shortage in Canada – and the consensus seems to…

On December 13, 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed that a third party can’t waive a person’s right to privacy or their rights under…

Updated January 26, 2023. Prince Edward Island corporations were formerly governed by the P.E.I. Companies Act – legislation that was…

Every parent knows that a lot can happen in 18 months. Many employers agree. The federal government’s extension of employment insurance…

The legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada is imminent. Employers are feeling the heat to prepare – even as they continue efforts to…

This publication has been updated as at July 8, 2022. Changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) over the past several years have…

Updated May 18, 2023. The Global Talent Stream is the central pillar of the Government of Canada’s Global Skills Strategy: an immigration…

Updated July 4, 2024 It can be challenging for employers to fulfill their legal duty to accommodate an employee under human rights laws…

Updated January 12, 2023. There’s no shortage of media coverage about a doctor shortage in Canada and the resulting impact on Canada’s…

Equity compensation plans are a valuable and versatile tool for many corporations, from early-stage startups to established blue-chips.…

We updated this publication on March 11, 2020. The #metoo and #timesup movements drove workplace sexual harassment to the front and center of…

Many employers use written workplace policies as a day-to-day workplace management tool; common examples include attendance management policies,…

Updated May 18, 2023. The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) allows qualified U.S. and Mexican citizens in certain “designated…

Whether a provincial court will grant police a “production order” under the Criminal Code of Canada requiring a non-Canadian company to…

Updated November 23, 2023. For many people, the holiday season now upon us is a fun-filled time of the year. But for employers, and…

Intellectual Property (IP) can be a valuable asset – even the most valuable asset – of a business. So it’s worth making sure the business…

Updated February 13, 2024 An increasing number of employees are struggling to meet the challenge of the competing demands of their employers…

Recently, the Federal Court of Appeal confirmed that a tax debtor’s bankruptcy does not extinguish the federal Crown’s priority to proceeds…

This publication has been updated as of October 14, 2020. On June 19, 2017, Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the…

Updated June 10, 2022.  The rapid rise in ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) principles has increased focus on workplace diversity and…

A corporation does not always sail in calm or safe waters. Cash shortages, unattainable or unmet goals, Board disagreements over the best course…

When growing your business, you face many decisions, including choosing the business structure that is right for you. Your legal team can be…

Investigations are a vital - but difficult - part of workplace management. The value of a proper investigation can’t be overstated: it plays a…

In three years (lightning speed in the law), medically assisted dying went from being illegal to being legal. A great deal has changed, a great…

Social media platforms, like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and GooglePlus, arguably have more followers and are more closely…

Note: On January 1, 2022, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program became the permanent Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). Learn more at From…

Updated January 13, 2025. The hiring process and the termination process are equally important stages of the employment relationship. And…

Connections between Canadians and the U.S. have never been as numerous or transparent as they are now: many Canadians own U.S. property, have…

Employers’ legal duty to accommodate employees seems to most frequently come up in the context of employees with disabilities. But that duty…

The employment contract is an exchange of labour for wages and other benefits, so employers are entitled to expect regular ongoing attendance…

Updated August 19, 2024. All shareholders – whether in a startup, a small or large business or a family-owned business – can benefit from…

Business owners wear many hats – including employer. Your employees may be your business’s greatest asset, but they could also be your…

Whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor has long caused employers a degree of angst. And the recent emergence of a new…

The Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal recently affirmed the test for confirming a cause of action and thus resetting a limitation period…

Updated January 27, 2023. A key legal decision in starting or growing your business is choosing the business structure that’s right for…

On July 14, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that the “Unjust Dismissal” sections of the Canada Labour Code ensure that…

Employers are entitled to mandate dress codes in the workplace, and even to discipline employees who refuse to comply. But a workplace dress…

You’re on a tight timeline to issue a press release. You finish your draft and ‘cut & paste’ your standard “forward-looking…

Updated October 4, 2023. Workplace accidents regularly lead to charges under occupational health and safety (OHS) law. These charges can be…

We updated this publication on May 17, 2023. Applying for and obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a critical step in hiring…

When a business responds to a public sector Request for Proposal or Expression of Interest (both of which we’ll refer to as an RFP for these…

On January 11, 2016, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice sentenced a front-line supervisor to imprisonment for 3½ years for four counts of…

Employee tardiness is a significant problem for employers - and bad weather is one of the top three reasons that employees give for it according…

Updated April 13, 2023. A well drafted and properly implemented written employment contract can be instrumental to both avoiding or resolving…

Updated July 19, 2024. Violence has become an unfortunate reality in current society, and the workplace is not immune. With more people…

Incorporation offers legal advantages to sole proprietors of small businesses, including certain tax advantages. However, when a corporation…

The employment contract, at its core, is an exchange of work for compensation. So at a very basic level, employers are entitled to expect…

Updated October 4, 2023. Most people know a company itself has occupational health and safety (OHS) obligations and risks corporate liability…

Updated June 24, 2021. Women make up close to half of the employed workforce: in 2019, Canadian women 15 years and older represented 47.4% of…

Updated January 26, 2022. With people spending so many of their waking hours at or connected to work these days, romantic relationships…

In December 2014, the Newfoundland & Labrador Supreme Court ordered an employer to pay its former employee $30,000 in moral damages to…

On December 11, 2014 the Supreme Court of Canada continued its trend to recognize privacy rights – and develop the law to protect them –…

Updated December 11, 2020. Employers host numerous events throughout the year – summer and holiday office parties, retreats, client and…

Updated August 25, 2022. Many believe that only public companies or large, established companies with many shareholders need to be concerned…

On November 7, 2013, the Supreme Court of Canda decided police require specific authorization in a search warrant to search the data in a…

Updated June 5, 2024. A general security agreement (GSA) is the most common form of personal property security to secure commercial loans and…

On June 14, 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 30 v. Irving Pulp…

On October 19, 2012 the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) decided a teacher criminally charged with possession of child pornography and unauthorized…

As any Canadian knows, July 1st – Canada Day – is the first long weekend of the summer; or is it?  What about when July 1 falls on a…

Social media blurs line between work time and “off duty” time. Employers can, however, discipline employees who go over the line. We have 10…