Is Your Workplace Ready For The Legalization Of Cannabis? On Monday August 13, 2018, the Ontario government announced recreational cannabis will be sold online to coincide with the coming into force of Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, which legalizes the recreational use of cannabis, on October 17, 2018. The Ontario…

Congratulations, you’ve just welcomed a bundle of joy into your life! Now that you are preparing to go back to work, you may also be a bundle of nerves. It is certainly an adjustment, and some worry is to be expected. One concern you should not have to contend with,…

Divorce (and separation) is an intensely emotional, personal process; it can feel very difficult to open the curtain and let someone behind the scenes. This is why it’s essential that you don’t just choose any family lawyer. You need a partner with whom you can work openly and honestly. How…

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you are used to juggling multiple balls. From sales and fulfillment to answering the phones and cleaning up, you do it all. Even HR. But this is like juggling with fire. Much harder — and a lot more risky. How do you avoid…

Divorce: when approached the wrong way it can be contentious, adversarial, and costly — both financially and emotionally. The traditional approach often leaves both parties bitter and angry; it is designed as me vs. them. Collaborative practice (a.k.a. collaborative divorce) shifts this dynamic, opening the opportunity for a cooperative, fair,…

When you’re about to start a new job, you may experience a flood of thoughts and emotions. Excitement. Eagerness. Trepidation. Perhaps a bit of anxiety. But one feeling you should not have, especially when it comes to your employment contract or offer letter, is confusion. Before you sign, make sure…

The Ontario Bar Association has named Morrison Reist partner, Melanie Reist recipient of the 2017 OBA Randall Echlin Mentorship Award. The Award was established in 2013 by the Ontario Bar Association’s Labour and Employment Law Section in honour of the late Justice Echlin, former Judge of the Ontario Superior Court…

In the spring of 2012, I was privileged to be part of the committee that put together a two-day special lecture series on employment law and the new workplace in the social media age.   We spent two days on a variety of topics ranging from privacy issues, social media network…

Our court system is lengthy, document intensive and complicated.  Many of those in court are representing themselves.  It’s a difficult challenge to understand court procedure, keep up with the documentation and court appearances especially if there is a lawyer on the other side, but even in cases where neither party…

One of the most difficult areas we confront as employment lawyers is the flow of medical information when managing issues of accommodation for people with disabilities. It is important for employers and employees to understand their obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code (“Code”). The term “disability” has been interpreted…