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Metroland Halton scoops several police media awards Two reporters and a pair of photographers representing Metroland Media's Halton Division's Oakville Beaver and Burlington Post will be honoured for their work at next month's Halton Regional Police Service Annual Awards Ceremony. Former Beaver reporter Michael Gregory, who recently joined the Post, will receive awards for best news story and best editorial. Police are recognizing Gregory for his story on a U.S. fugitive who eluded capture after a traffic stop in Oakville. The reporter's editorial on community support networks for those dealing with mental health issues, including mention of the police service's Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST), will also be recognized. Post reporter Tim Whitnell won best feature award for a story on COMMANDE, a Halton policing initiative involving multiple agencies focusing on a 11 | Thursday, April 9, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Michael Gregory co-ordinated response to community safety and public health issues. Photographer Eric Riehl picked up best news photo honours for his picture of Halton police Const. Evan McLeod reassuring the driver of an SUV overturned in a Burlington gas station parking lot last August. Riehl's photo is also a finalist in the Best Spot News category of this year's Ontario Community Newspaper Association's Eric Riehl (OCNA) Better Newspaper Competition, where he's also up for Photographer of the Year. Rounding out the award winners is Franki Ikeman who interned last summer and who will receive the feature photograph award for her photo of 30 Division members in Burlington taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Ikeman is a recent graduate of Loyalist College. The awards will be presented May 14 in Oakville. "...perfect match for us ...she made the journey fun ...already referred to a friend ...exceeded our expectations" "...friendly professionalism ...a true expert in her field ...expert design flare" K Design custom cabinetry 490 SPEERS ROAD, OAKVILLE K D E S I G N C A B I N E T RY.CO M 905.339.2223 DIAMOND legal matters What is Wrongful Dismissal? LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT LAW A fusion of JApAnese & Chinese Cuisine in the heArt of oAkville! Q a Wrongful dismissal describes a situation when an employee does not receive adequate reasonable notice of their termination of employment and/or payment in lieu of said notice, in accordance with either their contract of employment or the common law. When a contract of employment is executed it could restrict an employee's entitlements to notice when terminated not for cause. Employees are not entitled to notice or pay in lieu of notice if their employment is terminated for cause. In a contract of employment, an employer cannot contract out of the minimum entitlements an employee is entitled to receive pursuant to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (for a provincially regulated employer) or the Canada Labour Code (for a federally regulated employer). However, an employer can restrict an employee's notice of termination entitlement to only the statutory minimums prescribed in the legislation through a contract of employment. If an employee has not restricted their entitlement through the execution of a contract of employment, an employee is entitled to the common law notice period. The common law notice period is the amount of notice or pay in lieu of notice the court would determine as adequate reasonable notice based on the employee's individual circumstances. The factors that the court uses in determining the common law notice period are known as the Bardal Factors. These come from the case, Bardal v. Globe and Mail, and the list of factors include, but are not limited to, the employee's: age; nature of employment, years of service, and prospects for re-employment. The common law notice period is inclusive of the statutory minimum entitlements and takes into account that the minimum standards may not be reasonable in the circumstances. The reasonable notice period is meant to bridge the gap of employment for the employee from one employer to another; it is not supposed to be a windfall for the employee. When terminated not for cause, employees have an obligation to attempt to secure re-employment which would mitigate their damages, except for their statutory entitlements. Failure to do so could mean that the employee may have a significantly reduced common law notice period for failure to mitigate. It is wise for both employers and employees to seek advice with respect to the execution of contracts of employment and the termination of employment to avoid potential wrongful dismissal actions. Chantel Goldsmith Labour & Employment Chantel Goldsmith practices labour and employment law at O'Connor MacLeod Hanna LLP. An outspoken practitioner of employment, labour, and human rights, she loves - and is committed to - her busy practice. Chantel prides herself in developing an emotional bond with each and every client, employer or employee. Her commitment to community service continues as a Member of the Transitional Council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (TC-CONO) and the past Vice Chair of the Corporate Board of Directors for the Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK). come in & join us as we ceLebrate sPrinG at auGust 8! Dine in for All You cAn eAt lunCh or Dinner www.August8.cA 7 DAYs A week 4 Locations to serve you better! oAkville 280 north service road W. @ Dorval 905-338-6228 BurlinGton 834 Brant Street 700 Kerr Street Oakville ON L6K 3W5 (905) 842-8030 www.omh.ca inglis@omh.ca This column is intended for informational purposes only. This column does not replace or substitute any professional, financial, or legal advice. We Do tAkeout! hAMilton 1 Wilson Street stoneY Creek 835 Paramount Drive 10% off Dinner only. Cash only & with this ad.