Employment Lawyers Calgary
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Rosenberg v Northern Nursing Solutions Inc, 2024 ABCJ 220: A Case Comment
By Stephen Dugandzic This Alberta Court of Justice case involved a wrongful dismissal claim by a licensed practical nurse against her former employer, Northern Nursing Solutions Inc. The plaintiff had been recruited from a secure job in another province and later...
Is an Overbroad Termination Clause Enforceable? A Case Comment
By Stephen Dugandzic In Dufault v Ignace (Township), 2024 ONCA 915, the Ontario Court of Appeal found the “for cause” termination clause in the contract was illegal and unenforceable, because it undermined the Ontario Employment Standards Act’s (ESA) employee...
Are you Subject to a Non-Compete by Your Employer?
By Stephen Dugandzic In Alberta, a non-competition clause in an employment agreement can be enforceable—but only under strict conditions. Courts in Alberta (and generally across Canada) are cautious with these clauses because they restrict a person’s ability to earn...
What Should a Severance Review Include?
By Stephen Dugandzic A severance review should ensure that an employee is receiving fair and legally compliant compensation upon termination. Here’s what it should include: 1. Termination Clause Review (if there’s an employment contract) • Is there a written contract?...
Enforceability of Termination Provision Despite Employer’s Allegation of Just Cause: A Case Comment
By Stephen Dugandzic In Singh v Clark Builders, 2025 ABKB 3, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench upheld a termination clause in an employment contract, limiting the employee’s notice entitlement to 90 days, despite the employee’s promotion from Vice President to Chief...
Forced to Sign a Release in Exchange for Your Contractual Severance? A Case Comment
By Stephen Dugandzic In the case of Timmins v Artisan Cells, 2024 ONSC 7123, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice addressed the issue of an employer repudiating an employment agreement by failing to fulfill its contractual severance obligations. Background: Dr....
Enticed to Leave Your Job then Terminated? Inducement’s Effect on Wrongful Dismissal Damages
Wrongful dismissal claims often hinge on determining the proper amount of reasonable notice or pay in lieu of notice owed to an employee who was terminated without cause. Courts assess multiple factors (commonly known as the Bardal factors in Canadian law) to decide...
Severance Pay: How is it Calculated?
By Stephen Dugandzic When an employee in Alberta is terminated without cause and without an enforceable termination clause, they are entitled to common law reasonable notice (often paid as severance in lieu of working notice). Unlike the minimum standards in Alberta’s...
Bad Faith Terminations
By Stephen Dugandzic Employers in Alberta must navigate both statutory employment standards and common law principles when terminating employees. While the Alberta Employment Standards Code sets minimum requirements for termination (such as notice or pay in lieu),...
Have You Experienced Workplace Harassment?
Workplace harassment can involve unwelcome behaviour that makes an employee feel humiliated, threatened, or unsafe. Workplace harassment generally means any unwelcome or inappropriate behavior in the workplace that intimidates, offends, degrades, or humiliates a...