Human Rights Lawyer | MacLeod Law Firm

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Doug MacLeod — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 14:01:00 +0000

We have been advising Ontario employees for 30 years. We only practice workplace law so “All We Do Is WORK!” We have experience assisting employees from all walks of life. From people in entry level positions to senior executives in the private and public sectors. We may have negotiated a better severance package on your behalf. We may have helped you negotiate improvements to an offer of…

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Wrongful Dismissal: All You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 20:08:24 +0000

What Is A Wrongful Dismissal? If an employer does not provide you with adequate notice of termination, or pay instead of notice, then you have been wrongfully dismissed. In most cases, employers provide no notice of termination; you are called into a meeting and told that your employment is terminated that day. If so, you have likely been wrongfully dismissed. How Much Notice of Termination…

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Sexual Harassment at Home: What Can You Do About an Inappropriate Landlord

Nicole Simes — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 15:00:43 +0000

Trigger Waring: this blog contains content about sexual harassment and violence Rental housing and accommodation is a protected social area under the Human Rights Code in Ontario. That means that you should not be subjected to sexual harassment or discrimination by the owner, superintendent, or landlord of your rental housing. However, in a recent decision the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario…

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Age Discrimination in Rental Housing

Nicole Simes — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 20:14:18 +0000

Recently, various news outlets reported a story where two individuals applied for a rental accommodation and were denied the apartment due to their age. This is age discrimination. Accommodation is a protected social area under the Human Rights Code in Ontario. That means that you cannot be denied an apartment due to various grounds. These include age, race, religious beliefs, disability…

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The Perils of Dismissing a Disabled Employee

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 17:08:23 +0000

On June 30, 2016 the Ontario Court of Appeal (the “OCA”) released its decision in a case involving the dismissal of a disabled employee who earned about $ 22 000 per year. I wrote about the trial decision in April (see here for my blog post). The OCA increased the damages the employer was ordered to pay from about $ 110 000 to about $ 245 000 which was basically the amount the person claimed in…

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Can you be terminated for missing work due to your caregiving responsibilities?

Nadia Halum — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 17:11:01 +0000

We receive calls from parents who have been terminated, or whose continued employment has been threatened, due to their caregiving obligations to their children or parents. Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination on the basis of multiple grounds, including ‘family status’. Family status, which is defined as…

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Discrimination of Foreign-trained Professionals: the ‘Canadian experience’

Nicole Simes — Mon, 16 May 2016 16:03:47 +0000

Canada is a diverse country. Many people arrive here hoping to practice the profession in which they were trained abroad. However, there are often barriers to doing so. A recent decision out of Alberta considered this issue in The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta v. Milhaly, 2016 ABQB 61. The Case Mr. Milhaly was trained as an engineer in Czechoslovakia.

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Housing providers reminded of their obligations under Human Rights Code

Nadia Halum — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:02:54 +0000

Although most human rights cases arise in the context of employment, according to the Ontario Human Rights Code (the “Code”), people also have the right to equal treatment when buying, selling, renting or being evicted from an apartment, house, condominium or commercial property. A recent case from the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (the “Tribunal”) should serve as a cautionary tale to housing…

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Are Restaurant Dress Codes Illegal or a Job Requirement?

Nadia Halum — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 17:24:31 +0000

Right on time for International Women’s Day, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released its policy position on gender-specific dress codes. The policy is particularly relevant to the hospitality industry, as sexualized dress codes are often found in places such as restaurants and bars. The release of this policy, coupled with the passing into law of provisions that expand the Occupational…

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Common Employment Law Issues

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 13:38:25 +0000

I speak with human resources professionals every day about various employment law issues. This blog deals with five of the most common issues that arise in my practice. Termination Pay In many organizations, labour costs often account for more than 50% of the cost of doing business. Reducing head count is one way to reduce labour costs. I am often asked how to minimize the termination costs…

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