Employers and employees across Canada retain the services of Hyde HR Law, a boutique employment and labour law firm in downtown Toronto. The firm's lawyers joined it from national law firms. Employment contracts are one area of the firm's work for employers. Since October 25, 2021, Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 has prohibited employers from entering into non-compete agreements with employees. The Act has two exceptions. The first applies when a business is sold, and the seller becomes an employee of the buyer immediately after the sale.The second applies to executives, including a chief executive officer and a chief financial officer. A non-solicitation clause is different, and the ban does not cover it. The firm's employment lawyers in Toronto write non-solicitation clauses for new employment contracts. They also review employment contracts signed since the ban took effect to ensure none contain a prohibited non-compete agreement.
"A non-solicitation clause gives an employer a lawful way to protect its client relationships," said a spokesperson for Hyde HR Law. "We write the clause for the specific role, and we explain each term to the employer before the contract is signed."
Hyde HR Law's website offers a severance pay calculator. The firm publishes one blog for employers and another for employees. John Hyde, the firm's founder, has represented clients before administrative tribunals and has negotiated collective agreements on behalf of employers.
A non-compete agreement signed before October 25, 2021 falls outside the ban. An Ontario court looks at that kind of agreement under the common law and asks whether its terms are reasonable. The firm reviews these older agreements for employers seeking advice.
About Hyde HR Law
Hyde HR Law practises employment and labour law. Employers retain the firm for employment contracts and wrongful dismissal defence. Employees who need an employment lawyer in Torontoe can come to the firm for severance advice and contract reviews. On the labour side, the firm represents employers in collective bargaining and at arbitration hearings. It also conducts workplace investigations. For more information, visit https://hydehrlaw.com/.