Employment Law in Canada is the study of the legal regulation of work. Law frames most aspects of working life, from who is an employee and what constitutes employment, to how work relationships are formed, operate, and are terminated. Employment Law is traditionally understood to be the law of relationships between workers and employers, usually formed in contract. However, employment relationships today are shaped as much by statute as by the common law. Both dictate whether a legally enforceable or recognizable employment relationship exists, what the terms and conditions are and how it is to be interpreted. Further, the global economy and the changing nature of work is putting pressure on the traditional concept of employment, standard employment contracts and on the way our laws are structured and applied.
This course is intended to provide you with an introduction to the law of employment in Canada. We will explore the following issues and themes: what is employment; who are considered to be employees and employers and who aren't; how employment relationships are formed and what are the rights and duties of the parties; how do statutes influence the employment relationship; how are employment relationships terminated and what are the rights and remedies available to employees when they end? You will be introduced to some of the emerging issues and themes around the changing nature of work. We will briefly look at how that impacts our understanding of the role of employment laws and how Canada's legal regimes are evolving.