Thinking of Implementing a Four-Day Workweek? Be Mindful of the Potential Legal Implications

In this current work climate, it’s all about work-life balance. Employees know what they want and if it’s not being offered at one job, they will search for it elsewhere. This has employers scrambling to offer higher salaries, greater benefits, hybrid or remote work options, or even four-day work weeks to keep up with the competitive job market. All these perks seem fine and dandy to attract employees but if you’re considering a shift to a four-day workweek, it’s important to know the legal implications this could impose.

Legal Implications of Implementing a Four-Day Workweek?

How do Four-Day Workweeks Work?

Four-day workweeks can be implemented in different ways depending on the nature of your business. Typically, employees work their same (8-hour) workdays but only four days a week, meaning they are only working 32-hour workweeks, while still receiving the same pay and benefits. Alternatively, some businesses have changed their daily working hours to 10-hour days but only four days a week, amounting to a usual 40-hour workweek. Another tactic is employees agreeing to a reduced-hour workweek while also reducing their pay to compensate for the difference.

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Do Employers Have to Provide Reference Letters? The Legal Lowdown

Ah, reference letters, those elusive pieces of paper that can make or break a job seeker’s dreams. But here’s the deal: employers are not an employee’s personal fan club. They don’t have an obligation to shower employees with praise in the form of reference letters.

Before employers start feeling like kings on a throne, let’s explore the legal and strategic considerations surrounding reference letters and how they can impact an employer’s business.

No Obligation, No Problem

Let’s start with the undeniable truth: employers are under no legal obligation to hand employees a glittering reference letter, as affirmed by the Ontario Court of Appeal (2007 ONCA 573). So employers can rest easy, knowing that you’re not compelled to write letters of recommendation for every departing employee.

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Free webinar – HR Professionals vs Employment Lawyers

HR Professionals vs Employment Lawyers – Who Should Do What to Solve Your Workplace Issues? Join us as SpringLaw's Lisa Stam and guest Eric Appleyard, Director of Human Resource Business Advisory at ADP Canada, walk you through who can help with what in your workplace, best practices for HR and external Legal Counsel to collaborate effectively in the grey zone, and how to take cost-effective steps to solve your workplace HR / Legal matters. What…

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Welcome Jessyca Greenwood to the SpringLaw team

SpringLaw is super excited to share that Jessyca Greenwood has joined our team!  Jessyca brings with her over a decade of experience as a trial lawyer with a focus on criminal law, professional misconduct, mental health advocacy, and the complex way these areas intersect with the workplace. Jessyca’s skills as a fierce advocate will fuel our expanding litigation practice. Through her busy practice, she brings a deep knowledge of the impact mental health has on…

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