Topic: Employment and labour

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Promouvoir la rétention des employés clés d’une entreprise dans le cadre d’une transaction

Boardroom with people in a standing meeting, sun setting in backgroundLa rétention de la main-d’œuvre clé représente plus que jamais un enjeu d’envergure pour les sociétés. Le caractère intuitu personae du contrat d’emploi participe à cet enjeu puisque, considérant la nature et l’aspect personnel de ce type de contrat, il est impossible de forcer un employé à demeurer à l’emploi d’une entreprise et tout changement … Continue reading

Acqui-hiring: What we know and what we need to know from a Canadian perspective

“Acqui-hire” transactions, which are particularly prevalent in the context of start-up technology-related M&A transactions in the U.S., focus on acquiring a company primarily to obtain its employees and their skills, in addition to other possible assets (see our earlier post on acqui-hires). In these type of transactions, it is thought that the greatest perceived value … Continue reading

Avoiding independent contractor liability in M&A

The distinction between employees and independent contractors is significant as it pertains to workers’ legal entitlements. Employees have an exclusive working relationship with an employer, which engages rights and obligations under applicable employment legislation and the common law. By contrast, independent contractor agreements are entered into by legal and contractual equals. As a result, independent … Continue reading

Non-resident employees: withhold on worldwide income?

ITA regulation 102 requires employers to withhold tax on remuneration paid to non-resident employees who are employed in Canada. This requirement can be avoided by seeking a treaty-based waiver (regulation 102 waiver) or certification as a qualifying non-resident employer. However, often there is not sufficient time to do this before the employment is to begin, or there … Continue reading

Are you a processor of personal information?

The typical business model has significantly expanded in recent years, and often includes an element of collecting, using, storing or modifying personal information (also known as “processing”). If you are involved in processing personal information, you may likely be considered a “processor”. As a processor, it is crucial to understand the principles for processing data … Continue reading

Pension plan considerations in the M&A context

In any acquisition, whether for shares or assets, employee benefits and obligations must be taken into account. One of the potentially most onerous obligations includes the provision of pension benefits to employees – this makes it all the more important for companies contemplating acquisitions to consider potential employee pension plan implications. In a share purchase … Continue reading

Inherited liability under a workers’ compensation system: a surprise to avoid

Canadian provinces and territories all administer some form of a workers’ compensation system within their jurisdiction. Funded by employer-paid premiums, these no-fault insurance systems provide wage replacement and medical benefits to injured employees who relinquish their right to sue their employer for losses arising from their injuries. In Ontario, for example, the relevant legislation is … Continue reading

Change-in-control severance and its impact on key talent retention

As discussed in previous posts written by my colleagues Victoria Riley and Sara Josselyn, key talent retention is an important consideration for parties to a proposed M&A transaction. The uncertainty of a potential transaction may cause key employees to seek work elsewhere, which could in turn, jeopardize the deal itself. A change-in-control (CIC) severance agreement, … Continue reading

Will the 2016 Federal Budget contain anticipated changes to employee stock options?

There has been much speculation about the tax measures to be included in the new federal government’s first budget that will be presented next week, on March 22. Of particular interest to the start-up and technology communities is whether the budget will introduce changes to the tax treatment of employee stock options. The Liberal party’s … Continue reading

Human capital considerations in M&A transactions

In any M&A transaction, there are a variety of risks that are associated with human capital. Mercer has recently released a report, People Risks in M&A Transactions (the Report), based on a survey of M&A professionals. It provides an analysis of approximately 450 M&A transactions, and interviews corporate and private equity clients, investment bankers, and … Continue reading

Employee retention: good people equals better results

Human capital is a critical component of any merger or acquisition.  High profit margins and synergistic gains cannot be realized without key talent who are able to motivate employees to achieve high levels of performance. Although there is no simple solution to retaining top performers, retention strategies should be adopted in any merger or acquisition. … Continue reading

Golden parachutes on the rise during down economy

This post was contributed by Éric L’Italien, Lawyer, Norton Rose Canada Given the shaky economy over the past couple of years and the reduced number of takeovers, mergers and acquisitions, one would have expected a decline in indirect compensation such as golden parachutes. However, according to a recent Alvarez & Marsal study, there has been a 32% increase over the … Continue reading

Non-compete: get it signed before!

This post was contributed by Jean R. Allard, Partner, Norton Rose Canada In a recent Quebec Court of Appeal decision,[1] the court reversed a decision of all previous courts in a case regarding unfair termination for refusal to sign a non-compete agreement three years after the hiring date. In this case, the employer, a pharmaceutical … Continue reading
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