Monkhouse Law

07/07/2026

We're pleased to announce the promotion of Alisa Mirkovic to Senior Associate at Monkhouse Law.

Since joining the firm in 2023, Alisa has become a valued member of our team through her dedication to clients, strong advocacy, and thoughtful approach to employment law.

Her promotion recognizes her commitment to delivering exceptional client service, achieving strong results, and contributing to the continued success of the firm.

Please join us in congratulating Alisa on this well-deserved achievement!

06/25/2026

Claims for the Solar Brokers Canada Class Action must be filed by June 28, 2026.

To make a claim to a portion of the settlement, please complete the claim form and submit it with a copy of your government-issued ID, banking information for direct deposit (for example, a void cheque), and confirmation of how long you worked with Solar Brokers.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

For more information and the claim form: https://www.monkhouselaw.com/solar-brokers-canada-misclassification-class-action/

06/12/2026

Many employees take on freelance work, consulting projects, or side businesses outside of their regular employment. But does your employer have the right to know about unrelated side gigs?

Alexandra Monkhouse was quoted in The Globe and Mail's Nine to Five column:

"Unless limited by contractual wording, most employees can take on unrelated side gigs, provided they do not work during regular hours, use company equipment or engage in conflicts of interest. However, contracts frequently require workers to devote their full time and energy to the company, effectively prohibiting unapproved outside business."

Read the full comment in The Globe and Mail (for subscribers):

Unless limited by contractual wording, most employees can take on unrelated side gigs, provided they do not work during regular hours, use company equipment or engage in conflicts of interest, experts say

02/04/2026

Andrew Monkhouse is honoured to share that a student paper inspired by his Legal Process course at Osgoode Hall Law School has received a national award from the Canadian Bar Association.

The paper explores how artificial intelligence could be used carefully and ethically to help address court backlogs and improve access to justice, from judicial case triage to procedural efficiency.

You can read the essay here:
https://www.cba.org/sections/civil-litigation/resources/essaywinnercivil2025/

Ee Wai Chee is the winner of the 2025 Civil Litigation Essay Contest for their paper titled, "How might AI be integrated into Ontario’s civil justice system?".

01/14/2026

As of Jan. 1, a range of new employment rules came into effect in Ontario as part of the province’s Working for Workers Act. Some employment lawyers are already questioning the effectiveness of these new rules.

Ontario job postings from employers with 25+ employees must now:

• State the salary range or hourly wage bracket on job postings (and the annual salary range cannot be wider than $50,000)
• Disclose if they are using artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select job applicants in publicly advertised job postings
• Respond to an applicant about a hiring decision, whether or not they got the job, within 45 days from the date of an interview

In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Andrew Monkhouse said:

“Self-compliance is the way that the current provincial government has been choosing to try and improve employment law. But there is no effective punishment for non-compliance.”

Read the full article here (for subscribers): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ontario-hiring-pay-transparency-rules-enforcement/

Employers must now disclose salary range or hourly wage bracket in job postings, among other obligations

12/16/2025

$7.6M Settlement Approved in Desjardins Negative Vacation Bank Class Action

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has approved a $7.6 million settlement in a class action alleging that Desjardins was not entitled to recover the negative vacation bank amounts from employees. Without any admission of liability, Desjardins agreed to resolve the claims and has ceased applying the policy as of April 24, 2025 and current employees will be made whole by April 2, 2026.

Key details for former employees:
✅ Settlement approved: November 3, 2025
📅 Claims deadline: March 25, 2026
📄 Claims are administered by Verita, the Court-appointed Class Administrator

Former employees outside Quebec who worked for Desjardins entities between May 1, 2011 and August 13, 2017, were subject to the Policy and who were terminated or left Desjardins prior to April 24, 2025, other than those who executed a termination agreement releasing their claims for vacation pay on or before July 31, 2024 are eligible to claim under the Settlement.

🔗 Learn more and submit a claim:
https://www.desjardinsvacationbanksettlement.com/
https://www.monkhouselaw.com/desjardins-negative-vacation-bank-class-action/

Monkhouse Law Employment Lawyers continues to advocate for employees through class actions and employment law litigation.

12/09/2025

Workplace Discrimination: Your Rights Under Provincial and Federal Human Rights Laws: In this video, Reshida Darrell explains the protections available to employees who experience discrimination at work, under Ontario’s Human Rights Code and federal legislation.

Key points:

• Ontario’s Human Rights Code protects employees on 17 grounds, including race, disability, age, sex/pregnancy, family status, and gender identity/expression.
• Employment is a protected area, meaning employees have the right to equal treatment and a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.
• Ontario workers can file applications with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
• Employees in federally regulated sectors (banking, telecom, transportation, etc.) are covered under the Canadian Human Rights Act, which lists 13 prohibited grounds. Complaints are made to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
• A discriminatory requirement may only be allowed if it qualifies as a bona fide occupational requirement (BFOR)—something genuinely necessary for the role and not reasonably adaptable.

Watch the video (3.5 min): https://youtu.be/a4x07XjGZfE

11/25/2025

How Is Common Law Notice Determined? In this video, Taiwo Onabolu explains how notice periods are determined when an employee has been terminated.

Key points:

• Reasonable notice is intended to give employees time to secure new employment. In many cases, this period ranges from roughly 3 to 24 months, depending on the circumstances. In certain circumstances, Courts may award common law notice that is greater than 24 months.

• Courts rely on the Bardal factors when assessing notice entitlements, including:
• the nature of the position
• the employee’s length of service
• the employee’s age
• the availability of similar roles

• Certain workers may not be entitled to common law notice — including unionized employees, employees with enforceable termination clauses, fixed-term contract workers, and those who have signed valid releases.

Watch the video (2 min): https://youtu.be/LoJSuDa6KAc

11/12/2025

Monkhouse Law successfully defended a motion to strike in a case involving alleged misrepresentation by the directors of a failed startup.

Justice Penman of the Ontario Superior Court found that the plaintiff’s claim disclosed a reasonable cause of action, allowing the case to proceed against the individual shareholder-officers personally. The court confirmed that directors may face personal liability for tortious misrepresentation and oppressive conduct in employment matters.

Congratulations to Alexandra Monkhouse, who represented the plaintiff, on this important result.

Read more about the case: https://www.monkhouselaw.com/ontario-court-allows-personal-liability-claim-against-failed-startup-over-alleged-misrepresentation/

The Ontario Superior Court has ruled that a former employee of a failed startup may be entitled to relief under the oppression remedy against two shareholder-officers personally, after they allegedly […]

11/07/2025

Should You Resign If You Can’t Work? In this video, Miguel Mangalindan shares 5 tips for employees who are struggling to work and wondering whether they should resign. If you’re facing challenges, it’s important to understand your options before making any decisions.

Key points:
• Explore disability benefits, such as short-term or long-term disability or CPP Disability Benefits.
• Consider accommodation requests — employers must accommodate employees with disabilities to the point of undue hardship.
• Understand your entitlements before resigning, as you may forfeit severance or benefit continuation.
• If your workplace has become toxic or hostile, you may have grounds for constructive dismissal.
• Always seek legal advice before resigning to ensure your rights are protected.

Watch the video (2.5 min): https://youtu.be/Mv83e_8n1xM