Canada-U.S. trade talks have broken down, and the federal government has announced retaliatory tariffs expected to take effect on September 8. For employers in affected sectors the developments may raise important operational and workforce planning considerations.
Insights
Hicks Morley publishes a number of materials, both electronic and print, on issue-specific and sector-specific topics of interest to our clients. Our insights section has links to all of our various publications, updates and blogs, both current and historical, to keep you informed of developments in the law that impact human resources.
FTR Now
Ontario Consults on New LIF, Locked-in RRIF and LIRA Unlocking Rules
Ontario has proposed significant changes governing the unlocking of funds held in Life Income Funds (LIF), locked-in Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIF) and Locked-In Retirement Accounts (LIRA). The proposal is most relevant to financial institutions that administer these accounts.
Human Resources Legislative Update
Key Changes to the HRTO’s Rules of Procedure and Practice Directions Took Effect August 17, 2026
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has updated its Rules of Procedure and Practice Directions. The HRTO also introduced two new Practice Directions and process improvements.
Safe Sport
Ontario Court Allows Retroactive Application of UCCMS to Historic Misconduct
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has upheld an arbitrator’s decision finding that the UCCMS may, in certain circumstances, be applied retroactively to historical allegations of misconduct. This decision is an important reminder that safe sport obligations may extend to conduct that occurred before the UCCMS came into force.
Case In Point
Employer Conduct, Frustrated Contracts, and the Limits of Benefit Deductibility
In Hedrick v. Johnston Meier Insurance Agencies Ltd., Justice Bennett of the Supreme Court of British Columbia addressed two issues that will be of interest to employers: when an employer may rely on frustration of contract, and when statutory benefit payments may be deducted from wrongful dismissal damages.
FTR Now
Ontario Court of Appeal Case is a Warning to Employers to Review Their Incentive Plans
The decision has significant implications for employers that provide equity awards or other incentive plans. Employers should review their plans and award documents before the same drafting issue produces a similarly significant claim.
FTR Now
Arbitrator Strikes Down TTC’s Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Program
A significant decision concerning workplace drug and alcohol testing, has found that the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) random drug and alcohol testing program was unreasonable, contrary to the collective agreement and inconsistent with employees’ rights under section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter).
FTR Now
“At Any Time” and “For Any Reason” Termination Clauses Survive: OCA Clarifies Rules for Interpreting Employment Contracts
The Ontario Court of Appeal has issued a significant decision that brings much-needed clarity to the interpretation of employment contracts and the enforceability of termination provisions under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.
Case In Point
Cleaner Reinstated Following Threat to Kill Supervisor
In Servantage Services Corporation v Unifor Local 3000, Arbitrator Rogers reinstated a cleaner dismissed for making a death threat, emphasizing the importance of proportionality and rehabilitative potential in disciplinary decisions.
Case In Point
Game, Set, Compensable: When Workplace Pickleball Becomes a Competitive Sport
The Alberta Appeals Commission ruled that a worker’s arm injury, sustained while playing pickleball during employer-authorized group exercise, was compensable under Workers’ Compensation Board Policy 02-01.