Monty Verlint and Rhonda Levy of Littler LLP talk about their global guide to Canada for Q1 2019 in this article.
It’s always interesting to look back at how the legal industry has changed over the years. In early 2019, Monty Verlint and Rhonda Levy from Littler LLP put together a global guide on Canada’s employment laws. I remember when it came out—there was a lot of talk about how Canada was adapting to new workplace realities, especially around issues like remote work, compliance, and evolving labour policies.
One thing that stood out in that guide was its focus on how Canadian employment law interacts with global trends. For example, at the time, businesses were scrambling to adjust to changes in workplace harassment policies. Companies were significantly pushed to implement stricter anti-harassment measures, partly in response to movements like #MeToo.
Global Guide to Canada
Many United States companies expanding into Canada didn’t understand how serious the country was about enforcing these policies. I saw cases where American firms got caught off guard by provincial laws that demanded much stricter compliance than what they were used to back home.
Another thing to take away from that guide was the focus on terminations and severance pay. This is always a pain point for companies new to the Canadian market. Unlike in many U.S. states where at-will employment dominates, Canadian employers must provide notice or pay in lieu.
I once helped a client deal with a legal case where they thought they could let an employee go without severance, only to face a wrongful dismissal claim that cost them significantly more than if they had handled it appropriately. The guide analyzed these distinctions, categorizing how each province handled terminations differently.
Cross-border employment
At the time, cross-border employment was another big issue. Companies struggled with temporary foreign worker permits, especially with stricter immigration policies emerging in the USA. The blog covered how Canadian immigration rules shifted, particularly for high-skilled workers. Technology firms aggressively used Canada’s Global Talent Stream to hire skilled workers faster, avoiding U.S. visa headaches.
This guide captured a critical moment in Canada’s employment law evolution. Anyone dealing with HR, compliance, or cross-border employment would have found it invaluable.
