Employment Law for Business and Human Resources Professionals: Alberta and British Columbia, 3rd edition is a comprehensive, practical guide to the legislative and judicial framework of employment law in Alberta and British Columbia. Using recent and relevant examples, the text explores the evolution of employment law, and the factors and technologies that affect the workplace.

This new edition fills the gaps from previous editions by branching out beyond individual employment contracts to cover the entire landscape of the law of work, including unionized workplaces. This approach offers a clear view of how various workplaces fit together within our legal system.

The structure of the text allows different topics to be explored as instructors see fit, making the book easily integrated into courses. Additionally, by combining an in-depth overview of the major areas of employment law with the finer details of legislation, students will be better prepared to make informed decisions regarding legal issues that arise between employees and employers.

New and Updated Chapters

• New chapters on provincially regulated employers and the Canada Labour Code
• Revised chapters on Dismissal With Cause and Dismissal Without Cause
• Substantial revision of Chapter 1 to reflect the changes to the textbook and to constitutional law regarding age discrimination—addition of Association of Justices of the Peace of Ontario v. Ontario (Attorney General). Also the addition of new content regarding the concept of jurisdiction.
• Substantial revision of human rights and equity chapters including legal updates regarding:
• Human rights complaint data
• Information regarding accommodation of mental illness
• Important updates to family status discrimination law with the addition of Canada (Attorney General) v Johnstone, 2014 FCA 110
• Important updates to drug and alcohol testing law, including Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 30 v Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd, 2013 SCC 34
• Clarified and updated rules in Chapter 6
• Legislative rules for termination in Chapter 14 now reflect the recent decision of the Employment Standards Branch and BC Court of Appeal on the meaning of ES Act, s 63

Discussions Surrounding:

• The impact of global harmonization of safety standards on federal and provincial legislation in Canada
• How the Occupational Health and Safety Act extends to farm and ranch operations in Alberta
• How changes in technology impact individual privacy in the employment relationship
• The rewriting of laws on constructive dismissal and damage assessment for wrongful dismissal, including recent cases that have applied the new rules
• Decisions that strengthen collective bargaining in Canada, including 2015 decisions that allow RCMP members to form a union, and a decision to make striking a constitutional right
• The effect of federal and provincial protection-of-privacy laws, including a 2013 decision that struck down Alberta’s privacy statute

Valuable Resources

• An extensive glossary of basic legal terms and terms specific to employment law
• References to additional online and hard copy resources

Part I: The Legal Framework

Chapter 1: Overview of Employment Law
Chapter 2: Provincially Regulated Employers: Understanding Common Law
NEW Chapter 3: Unionized Employees
NEW Chapter 4: Canada Labour Code

Part II: Legal Issues in Hiring and During the Course of Employment

Chapter 5: The Employment Contract
Chapter 6: Employment Standards Legislation
Chapter 7: Human Rights Issues
Chapter 8: Occupational Health and Safety Legislation
Chapter 9: Workers’ Compensation Legislation
Chapter 10: Privacy Inside and Outside the Workplace
Chapter 11: Navigating the Employment Relationship

Part III: The End of the Employment Relationship and Beyond

Chapter 12: Resignation and Retirement
Chapter 13: Dismissal with Cause
Chapter 14: Dismissal without Cause
Chapter 15: Post-Employment Obligations

Additional Resources

Appendix A: Sample Indefinite-Term Contract
Appendix B: Sample Fixed-Term Contract
Appendix C: Sample Absenteeism Letters
Appendix D: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms*
Appendix E: Alberta Human Rights Act*
Appendix F: British Columbia Human Rights Code*
Glossary
Index

* = Online Resource

Chapter 8: Occupational Health and Safety Legislation

Appendix D: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Appendix E: Alberta Human Rights Act
Appendix F: British Columbia Human Rights Code