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Lexology Navigator: Alberta Employment and Labour 2018

Author(s): Damian Rigolo, Melanie Simon

Mar 9, 2018

Canada’s unique constitutional division of powers between the federal and provincial governments means that most employers in Alberta are covered by provincial legislation (although some are covered by federal legislation). In the Alberta section of an article published in Lexology Navigator: Employment and Labour 2018, authors Damian Rigolo, a partner in Osler’s Employment & Labour Group, and associates Steven Dickie and Melanie Simon outline the key provincial and federal legal considerations for employers in Alberta.

Topics covered by the authors include the following:

  • coverage of legislation (provincial or federal) as determined by the nature of the employer’s business
  • no at-will employment in Canada
  • limitations on the ability to terminate employment, provincial termination issues, severance packages and privacy legislation
  • emerging trends in employment law in Alberta including privacy, constitutional protection of union activities, workplace investigations and the legalization of marijuana
  • Alberta statutes governing employment including the Employment Standards Code
  • employment contracts and employee/contractor misclassification
  • hiring process including job advertisements and background checks
  • wages, hours and payroll
  • discrimination, harassment and family leave
  • privacy in the workplace
  • trade secrets and restrictive covenants
  • labour relations including unions and layoffs
  • discipline and termination

Find out more detailed information about Alberta’s labour laws.

Lexology Navigator is a comparative global Q&A guide designed to provide business professionals with updates and analysis from today’s leading lawyers.