Labour & Employment
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March 19, 2026
Five associates join Stikeman Elliott’s Montreal office
Stikeman Elliott has added five associates to its Montreal office.
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March 19, 2026
New Brunswick introduces pay transparency law and expands illness leave benefits
New Brunswick has introduced legislation that is set to increase pay transparency and require employers to provide up to 27 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave for workers recovering from illness or injury.
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March 19, 2026
Employees must use full process in lodging safety concerns before alleging reprisal: lawyer
Those who accuse their employer of reprisal for raising safety concerns must exhaust all necessary steps in the process before lodging such a complaint, says a lawyer of a case involving a Nova Scotia teacher alleging her school punished her for complaining about the air quality in her classroom.
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March 18, 2026
The mask of professionalism: Stress of maintaining the ‘good lawyer’ image
In the first part of this two-part series (see link below), I wrote that in addition to actual legal work, most lawyers are also expected to act, speak and dress in certain ways. This added layer of effort can feel like a performance. It requires constantly monitoring yourself to maintain the image of a “good lawyer,” and it is exhausting. Here, I turn to what can be done to reduce the stress associated with all this extra labour.
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March 17, 2026
SCC heard more cases in 2025 but still fewer than pre-pandemic; number expected to rise in 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada heard more appeals last year than in 2024 and delivered its reserved judgments more quickly, but its hearings and output in 2025 were not yet up to pre-pandemic levels, according to the top court, which states it “expects to hear even more cases in 2026.”
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March 17, 2026
N.W.T. releases feedback on changes to union rules for public sector workers
The Northwest Territories has released feedback on possible legislative changes around how unionized public servants are represented.
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March 17, 2026
Immigration petitions: Premium processing vs. ‘regular’ adjudication
These days, to get a timely adjudication on any U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) petition, filers need to be looking at the possibility of paying the extra US$2,965 to the U.S. government for expedited adjudication, under the agency’s “Premium Processing” option. This is because “regular” adjudication typically takes months — and in some cases, years — for most case types. This means your entire immigrant or nonimmigrant process, and accordant status, can be held up by lengthy adjudication times, limiting work options and/or the ability to travel in the meantime.
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March 16, 2026
FCA orders RCMP review body to decide delayed appeals within 6 months
The Federal Court of Appeal has ordered the RCMP External Review Committee (ERC) to issue findings in long-delayed disciplinary appeals within six months, ruling that the Federal Court erred in denying mandamus relief after concluding the delay was not unreasonable.
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March 16, 2026
Court of Appeal for Ontario confirms stay where enforcement sought against non-party to arbitration
In Sociedad Concesionaria Metropolitana de Salud S.A. v. Webuild S.p.A., 2026 ONCA 28, the Court of Appeal confirmed that enforcement proceedings in Ontario should be stayed based on forum non conveniens.
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March 16, 2026
Employers ignore mental health issues at their peril
Employers who think they are being clever by rushing to dismiss an employee, or quickly accepting a resignation before the employee explicitly raises mental health accommodation, often create liability for themselves.