Easing out of hibernation this year, we divert attention from harrowing events purely on the domestic front by shining a light on odd employment and legal stories worldwide, plus Alabama.
In Czerniawski v. Corma Inc., 2021 ONSC 1514, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice concluded that a long-term employee’s misconduct did not justify dismissal for cause without notice. The court awarded 19 months’ common law reasonable notice.
On March 3, 2021, in Rohrer v. Oswego Cove, LLC, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s dismissal of an employee’s common-law wrongful discharge claim for seeking legal advice about her employment.
On March 23, 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill (SB1480) that amends the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) to, among other things, impose new requirements on employers that perform criminal history checks on their employees.
Form U5 defamation cases are on the rise, with a reported 24% increase over the filing period from 2019 to 2020. Firms should take certain proactive steps to fully understand their duties, reduce risk, and avoid costly litigation.
In Nahum v. Honeycomb Hospitality Inc., 2021 ONSC 1455, the Ontario Superior Court determined that an employee’s pregnancy should impact the calculation of her reasonable notice period for dismissal.
In the Netherlands, employers are generally prohibited from dismissing sick employees in the event of a reorganization, even if those employees are eligible for dismissal based on the reflection principle.
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The law contains various provisions that impact employers, including a new COBRA subsidy.