Podcast: Matthew Dewar on How Companies and Employees Can Navigate COVID-19 in 2021

Get in touch

555-555-5555

mymail@mailservice.com

Ewan Christie • Dec 31, 2020

Podcast: Matthew Dewar on How Companies and Employees Can Navigate COVID-19 in 2021

The vaccines are being rolled out as we speak, but that doesn't mean COVID-19 is behind us. The pandemic has left tens of millions of people out of work and companies struggling to stay alive. This week, Duntrune LLP's Matthew Dewar joins the show to share his expectations for employer/employee relations in 2021. While some long layoffs might be considered termination, seeking a settlement from cash strapped companies could be futile in the midst of a pandemic. He's got some ideas on how employers can manage risk and what laid-off employees should consider, too.

Then we look at some positive news from last week: Major League Baseball's decision to include player statistics from the Negro Leagues into the official baseball stat book. The Negro Leagues stopped playing 72 years ago, so it was a long-time coming. While it might appear to be an easy win for MLB, Cam explains why it wasn't quite so simple, and shared his thoughts on what MLB did right as it rolled out the announcement.

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.

< Older Post Newer Post >

Mail

Duntrune Blog

Why Knicks' lawsuit against Raptors might not be a big deal

By Matt Dewar • 12 Sep, 2023

Why Knicks' lawsuit against Raptors might not be a big deal

When should an employee worry that their off-duty misconduct may give rise to termination for cause?

13 Jan, 2023

When should an employee worry that their off-duty misconduct may give rise to termination for cause?

The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on an Employee’s Notice Period

By Michael F. Lee • 26 Oct, 2021

The pandemic’s impact on Canada’s economy has resulted in job losses across a wide array of sectors. As more employees are let go, judges are continually tasked with determining whether and how the economic downturn should be taken into account in assessing employees’ termination entitlements.

Mandatory Vaccination Protocols In the Workplace – Get with the program or else (?)

By Jason Beeho • 20 Sep, 2021

On August 17, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the government would implement a policy of mandatory vaccination for all federal public servants, subject only to exclusions for “legitimate medical reason[s]”. He went on to caution that, for those public service employees who refuse to be vaccinated, “there will be consequences.”

Mandatory Vaccination Protocols

By Jason Beeho • 23 Aug, 2021

In recent days, we have seen the Federal government announce that – subject only to limited exceptions – all of its public service employees must be fully vaccinated. The Ontario provincial government quickly followed suit with a similar pronouncement, as did the City of Toronto. So has the TTC, and – as at this writing – numerous universities and four of Canada’s major banks.

A Ray of Hope for Employers

By Israel Balter • 11 Aug, 2021

For Ontario’s employers, the contemporary challenge of hiring staff is characterized by attracting talent that meets core competencies and rudimentary work habits and retaining them. It would be understandable that companies would seek a measure of assurance that the employees that they hire will stay with them. The costs incurred in training staff are as often as not a wasted investment in a market dominated by a mobile workforce exhibiting little fealty to their employers and aggravated by recurrent lockdowns.