Terminations. Performance issues. Workplace complaints. Leave requests that spiral into legal grey areas.
Sound familiar? If you’re a payroll professional, bookkeeper or accountant supporting small business clients, chances are these topics land on your desk more often than you’d like. And while payroll may be a service you offer, the reality of working with small business owners is that you’re often the first call when something goes wrong with an employee, — not HR, not a lawyer.
Knowing how to recognise a red flag, what questions to ask, and when to hand things off to the right professional isn’t just useful. It’s what separates a payroll professional from a trusted advisor.
That’s why Wagepoint collaborated with Anna Ali, Senior Director of HR Services at Max People, and Humera Rehman, Employment Lawyer at Rodney Employment Law, for a webinar built specifically for payroll professionals navigating these situations with their small business clients: Ask HR and legal: real client challenges, real workplace scenarios.
What they covered
The session tackled four of the most common — and most complex — employee situations that payroll professionals encounter when supporting small business clients.
Employee leaves and accommodations
What can an employer actually ask when someone goes on leave? What are they legally required to do? And at what point does a leave request become a human rights issue? Anna and Humera walked through the employer’s obligations clearly, including where the duty to accommodate begins and what happens when an employer gets it wrong.
Performance management
Documentation is everything — but most small business owners don’t start documenting until it’s too late. This section covered why a paper trail matters long before a termination is on the table, the one question payroll professionals should ask their clients early in any performance situation, and how to help clients build habits that protect them down the road.
Workplace complaints and investigations
When an employee raises a complaint, the employer’s legal duty to act is triggered almost immediately — regardless of whether the complaint seems serious. Anna and Humera covered what that duty looks like in practice, why bringing in an external investigator is almost always the right call, and what payroll professionals should know about their role when a client is in the middle of one.
Terminations
The section most attendees came for. The session covered the practical tips for a clean termination, the most common mistakes employers make, and the difference between termination without cause and termination for cause — including what “cause” actually requires in practice. A live attendee question about terminating an employee currently on a job-protected leave generated a lot of discussion.
Why it matters for payroll professionals
You’re likely not an HR consultant or an employment lawyer, and your clients may not know what is out of scope between payroll and HR. But you’re in a unique position: you see the payroll data, you know the business, and you probably support with employee terminations and leaves.
That proximity has real value — if you know what to do with it. Understanding the basics of when a situation has crossed into legal territory, what questions to ask a client before things escalate, and which issues need professional HR or legal support isn’t about expanding your scope. It’s about serving your clients well and protecting yourself in the process.
This session gives you a practical foundation for exactly that.
Watch the recording
The full on-demand recording is available now in Canada’s Payroll Collective, an online community for Canadian bookkeepers, accountants, and payroll professionals serving small business customers.
Watch the recording in Canada’s Payroll Collective
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The content shared in this webinar is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or HR advice. For guidance specific to your situation, please consult a qualified HR professional or employment lawyer.
