Publikation
Legalseas
Our shipping law insights provide legal and market commentary, addressing the key questions and topics of interest to our clients operating in the shipping industry, helping them to effectively manage risk.
Employees may be entitled to time off to vote in Toronto’s mayoral
by-election
Author:
Kanada | Publikation | June 20, 2023
On June 26, Toronto will vote for its new mayor in a municipal by-election. Polling stations will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day. Pursuant to Ontario’s Municipal Elections Act, employees who are eligible voters may be entitled to time off work to vote.
Eligible voters. An eligible voter is any Canadian citizen who is over 18 years of age, is not prohibited from voting under any law, and fulfills the necessary City of Toronto residency requirements.
The three-hour rule. Employees who are eligible voters are entitled to three consecutive hours free from work to vote while polling stations are open. Employers must facilitate this time off, but may schedule the absence to suit their convenience. For example:
- If the employee’s hours of work are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the employer is not required to provide any time off because the employee has three consecutive hours free from work to vote between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- If the employee’s hours of work are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the employee does not have three consecutive hours free from work to vote. The employer might:
- Permit the employee to leave work an hour early, allowing the employee three consecutive hours free from work to vote between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Permit the employee to start work at 1 p.m., allowing the employee three consecutive hours free from work to vote between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
- Give the employee any other three consecutive hours free from work at any point during the employee’s shift on voting day.
No pay deduction or penalties. Time off for voting must be provided without any deduction to an employee’s pay or any other penalty. In other words, employees must receive the same wages they would have received had they worked their full scheduled hours.
Penalty for non-compliance. Employers who fail to comply with the Municipal Elections Act may face fines of up to $50,000.
The author would like to thank Rose Ghaedi, law student, for her help in preparing this legal update.
Aktuelle Publikationen
Blog
Entscheidung des Bundesgerichtshofs im Fall Sony gegen Datel: Auswirkungen auf Gaming, Cheat-Software und das EU-Softwareurheberrecht
Cheat-Software ist für Spielehersteller seit Langem ein Ärgernis. Doch stellt sie auch eine Urheberrechtsverletzung dar? In einer wegweisenden Entscheidung vom 31. Juli 2025 hat der Bundesgerichtshof (BGH) entschieden, dass Cheat-Tools, die lediglich In-Game-Variablen im RAM manipulieren – ohne den Programmcode zu verändern – nicht gegen das Softwareurheberrecht nach EU-Recht verstoßen.
Blog
German Federal Court of Justice decision in Sony v. Datel: Its implications for gaming, cheat tools and EU software copyright law
Cheat software has long been a thorn in the side of game publishers. But does it also constitute a copyright infringement? In a landmark decision, issued on 31 July 2025, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruled that cheat tools that merely manipulate in-game variables in RAM - without altering the program code - do not violate software copyright under EU law.
Subscribe and stay up to date with the latest legal news, information and events . . .