Employment Law
Knowledge of the law affecting the workplace is fundamentally important to the practicing paralegal, not only for the purpose of advising clients but because the paralegal will likely play several roles in his/her lifetime: employer, employee, independent contractor and agent. This subject is devoted to exploring the different legal ramifications of the employment relationship. Students will examine what an employment relationship is and how one is formed, the tests used by courts to distinguish employees from independent contractors, the contractual, common law and statutory rules that govern the employee/employer relationship, the obligations owed to third parties, and the collective bargaining process.
The legislative focus will be on the Employment Standards Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Occupational Heath and Safety Act, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act and labour relations legislation.
As well as employment, this subject will examine the agency relationship, which may arise within or outside of an employment relationship. The course will examine how agency relationships are created and the obligations that arise between the parties.