Ellen Low

(416) 915-3111 info@torontohrlaw.com

‘Always a balancing act’ when it comes to family status rights

/ Employment/Labour /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Determining an employee’s family status and accommodation rights under the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) can be challenging, especially in the middle of a pandemic, says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low. “There is always a balancing act in terms of family status,” says Low, principal of Ellen Low Employment Law. “For employers facing a family status […]

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Employer learns the high price of workplace discrimination

/ Employment/Labour /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Egregious acts of discrimination can be costly as one employer learned with a B.C. Human Rights Tribunal award of almost $1 million, says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low, adding damage settlements tend to be trending upward. The British Columbia government was recently ordered to pay a former corrections officer $974,167, including $176,000 for

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Exceptional circumstances in employment law not easily defined

/ Employment/Labour /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Determining how to tie exceptional circumstances to a fair severance package can be difficult to predict as illustrated by a recent court decision involving a 73-year-old who spent decades as a radio broadcaster, says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low. Low, principal of Ellen Low Employment Law, says the case deals with a man who

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Revoking an offer of employment is not necessarily a simple matter

/ Employment/Labour /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Ending an employment relationship before it begins can come at a cost, says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low, adding employers would be wise to seek advice before making such a move. In a recent judgment, Ontario Superior Court sided with a man who sued after a job offer was revoked before

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Human rights decision could bode well for harassment victims

/ Employment/Labour /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low says she is hopeful a recent Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) ruling will lead more victims of sexual harassment in the workplace to pursue their complaints with the tribunal. Low, principal of Ellen Low Employment Law, says NK v. Botuik is a significant

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Questions, concerns remain about company dress code policies

/ Employment/Labour /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • A recent workplace dismissal case that garnered media attention demonstrates that while discriminatory dress code issues are not new, some questions and concerns remain, says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low. An Edmonton woman filed a human rights complaint against a car dealership, claiming she was fired for wearing clothes

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Do not make assumptions with managerial overtime pay

/ Employment/Labour /

By LegalMatters Staff • While it is commonly assumed salaried managers are not entitled to overtime pay that is not necessarily the case, says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low. Low, principal of Ellen Low Employment Law, says Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) regulations can be confusing when it comes to workers who take on a

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Employees face ‘a whole new ball game’ working from home

/ Employment/Labour /

By LegalMatters Staff • Working from home brings with it a learning curve and new challenges that can affect employment rights, says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low. A vast number of people are settling into home offices as the shift to working remotely that was forced by the coronavirus shutdown appears to be a more

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Know your rights under Ontario’s amended layoff regulations

/ COVID-19 /

By LegalMatters Staff • The Ontario government’s temporary change to layoff regulations during the coronavirus pandemic puts employees in a “precarious position,” says Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low. And the recently announced amendment is somewhat confusing, even for those who practise employment law, making it essential for workers to seek legal advice when confronted with

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What to know if you are recalled to work (and you’re unsure it’s safe)

/ COVID-19 /

By Paul Russell, LegalMatters Staff • As Ontario businesses gear up after weeks of lockdown, Toronto employment lawyer Ellen Low says she has been busy answering questions from employees about their legal entitlements during a pandemic. “Due to COVID-19, the right to refuse work is becoming more and more of an issue,” says Low, principal

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