Canada: Contract of Employment

Federally regulated employers in Canada face significant changes to employment law, including new equal pay requirements that mandate identical wages for employees performing substantially similar work regardless of full-time, part-time, permanent, or temporary status. Additionally, proposed legislation threatens to ban non-compete clauses and other employment restrictions for most workers, with limited exceptions for C-suite executives and business sale scenarios.

An Ontario court has ruled on whether a former employee is entitled to an annual bonus after resigning, examining the enforceability of a verbal bonus policy that required active employment at the time of payment. The decision explores the boundaries of discretionary bonus programs and the circumstances under which unwritten employment policies may be upheld by courts.

Le gouvernement fédéral a mis en place une politique d’intérêt public temporaire permettant à certains travailleurs étrangers temporaires au Québec d’obtenir un nouveau permis de travail pouvant aller jusqu’à 12 mois. Cette mesure vise à éviter la perte de statut des travailleurs engagés dans un processus de résidence permanente dans le cadre du Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés du Québec (le « PSTQ »).

This comprehensive workplace law conference covers critical employment issues facing organizations today, from protecting against departing employees and managing remote work arrangements to navigating health and safety enforcement with new criminal penalties. Legal experts examine legislative updates on transparency and layoffs, accommodation challenges involving addiction, enforceable termination clauses, and emerging trends in bonus entitlements, bad faith damages, and collective bargaining.

A recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision clarifies when employers can claim copyright ownership over work created by employees, revealing that even when an employee secretly builds a competing product while on the payroll, the employer may have no copyright claim if the work falls outside the employee's actual job responsibilities. The ruling underscores critical gaps in employment agreements and highlights five practical steps employers should take to protect their intellectual property rights.

Manitoba and federal governments have announced increases to minimum wage rates that will take effect in 2026. Provincially regulated employers must prepare for the October 1 increase to $16.40, while federally regulated employers face an April 1 adjustment to $18.15 per hour.

On May 21, 2026, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a long-awaited advisory opinion finding that the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention No. 87 on the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize protects the right to strike.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal examined whether a long-standing remote work arrangement can become a binding employment term, and what happens when an employer unilaterally changes it.

Navigating the 2L law school recruitment process can feel overwhelming, but understanding what to expect at each stage—from summer coffee chats and brief OCI interviews to intensive in-firm interview weeks—can transform anxiety into confidence. Drawing from personal experience at Lerners LLP, this guide reveals how preparation, authenticity, and strategic relationship-building lead to recruitment success and finding the right firm fit.