The Do's and Dont's of Employee Hiring and Firing

Barb Cornish and Scott Brearley (03/01/06 )Download

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 I.     OVERVIEW 4 
   1.   PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE  4
   2.   GOVERNMENTAL REGULATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP  4
    a.   Employment Standards Act  5
     b.  Worker's Compensation Act  5
     c.  Human Rights Code  5
     d.  Protection of Information and Privacy Act  5
     e.  Income Tax Act  5
   3.   THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT  5
 II.     HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION 5 
   1.   ADVERTISING FOR EMPLOYEES 6 
   2.   THE CODE, THE INTERVIEW AND REPRESENTATIONS MADE TO PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES  7 
III.    THE CODE - ISSUES GOVERNING THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP 8 
   1.   ACCOMMODATING DISABILITY  9 
   2.   ACCOMMODATING OTHER PROTECTED GROUPS - SOME BRIEF COMMENTS  10 
   3.   DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCIES  10 
   4.   DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING 10 
   5.   PREGNANCY 10 
   6.   SEXUAL HARASSMENT 11 
   7.   CRIMINAL CONVICTION  11 
   8.   AVENUES FOR PURSUING DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS  11 
a. Complaints in front of a Human Rights Tribunal 11
b. Discrimination claims in front of the Workers Compensation Board 12
c. Discrimination Claims in Civil Actions 14
(i) Independent Tort 14
(ii) Independent actionable wrongs - punitive damages 14
(iii) Breach of an implied term of the employment contract 15
IV. PRIVACY ISSUES AND EMPLOYMENT 15
1. EMPLOYEE PERSONAL INFORMATION 16
2. COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE OF EMPLOYEE PERSONAL INFORMATION 17
3. THE REQUIREMENT OF NOTIFICATION 17
4. "REASONABLE" COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE 17
5. THE RETENTION OF EMPLOYEE PERSONAL INFORMATION 18
6. PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEE PERSONAL INFORMATION 19
7. DISCLOSURE OF EMPLOYEE PERSONAL INFORMATION TO THIRD PARTIES 19
8. ACCESS TO AND CORRECTION OF EMPLOYEE PERSONAL INFORMATION 19
9. OWNERSHIP OF PERSONNEL FILES 20
10. SHADOW FILES 20
11. REFERENCE CHECKS 20
12. A NOTE ON PROVIDING REFERENCES TO NEW EMPLOYERS 20
V. TERMINATING THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT 20
1. DISMISSAL FOR CAUSE 20
2. ENSURING THAT AN EMPLOYEE IS AWARE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT 21
3. SEVERANCE PAYMENTS 21
4. CALCULATING REASONABLE NOTICE 21
5. THE TERMINATION MEETING 22
6. STRUCTURING THE SEVERANCE PAYMENT 24
7. LUMP SUM OR SALARY CONTINUANCE 24
8. THE DUTY TO MITIGATE 25
9. THE USE OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS TO LIMIT SEVERANCE PAYMENT 25
10. A WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT "INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS" 25
VI. SUMMARY 26

Download complete paper.


Footer