On February 28, 2022, the Ontario government tabled Bill 88, Working for Workers Act, 2022, omnibus legislation which, if passed, would enact the Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act, 2022 and make amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and other employment-related legislation. In this FTR Now, we review some of the key features of…
Author: Hicks Morley
Ontario Enters Roadmap Exit Step, Removes Proof of Vaccination Requirement
As announced by the Ontario government earlier this month, public health restrictions imposed in light of COVID-19 will be substantially eased on March 1, 2022. On that date, all regions in Ontario will be moved into the Roadmap Exit Step of the province’s Reopening Plan and almost all public health restrictions will be removed. Notably,…
Ontario to Introduce Legislation Requiring Employers to Disclose Information Regarding Electronic Monitoring of Employees
On February 24, 2022, the Ontario government announced its plan to introduce legislation later this month that would require employers to inform their workers if and how they are being monitored electronically. If passed, Ontario will be the first province to require electronic monitoring policies. As the government states, the intention of this legislation is…
Ministry Updates ESA Guide on Disconnecting from Work Policies and Non-Compete Agreements
On February 18, 2022, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (Ministry) updated its online guide to the Employment Standards Act (Guide) to include chapters on written policy on disconnecting from work and non-compete agreements. The chapters provide guidance on recent Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) amendments that require employers with 25 or…
Arbitrator Finds Part of LTC Homes’ Mandatory Vaccination Policy Violated Collective Agreement
On February 7, 2022, Arbitrator Misra issued her decision in Chartwell Housing REIT (The Westmount, The Wynfield, The Woodhaven And The Waterford) and Healthcare, Office And Professional Employees Union, Local 2220 in which she found that the termination consequences of a long-term care home employer’s mandatory vaccination policy violated the collective agreement. Background In late…
Ontario Seeking Input on Proposed Firefighter Certification Standards
On January 28, 2022, the Ontario government released a draft regulation under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997. As the government states, the regulation would establish mandatory minimum certification standards for specific fire protection services. The regulation sets out the mandatory minimum standard and corresponding job performance requirements of firefighters delivering specific fire protection…
Details Regarding Ontario’s Move to Amended Step 3 of Roadmap to Reopen
Effective January 31, 2022, all public health units in Ontario will move to the Rules for Areas at Step 3 (Step 3 Rules) of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen plan. The Step 3 Rules are set out in O. Reg. 364/20, made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, as amended…
In Case You Missed It: Key COVID-19 Cases to Date
Our recent FTR Now provided an overview of notable “non-pandemic” legal developments from 2021. In this FTR Now, we provide a round-up of key COVID-19 cases, which include decisions on issues such as wrongful dismissal, mandatory vaccination and human rights. These decisions will be of interest to employers and HR professionals as we move forward into…
Federal Government Publishes Exemptions to New Hours of Work and Notice of Schedule Requirements under Canada Labour Code
The federal government recently published Exemptions from and Modifications to Hours of Work Provisions Regulations (Regulations) made under the Canada Labour Code (CLC). The Regulations provide certain exemptions and modifications to the CLC provisions requiring employers to provide 96 hours’ notice of work schedule, 24 hours’ notice of shift change, 30-minute breaks every 5 hours…
Ontario Announces Further Extension of Paid and Deemed Infectious Disease Emergency Leaves
On December 7, 2021, the Ontario government announced that it would be extending the program that provides eligible employees with up to three days of paid infectious disease emergency leave (Paid IDEL) until July 31, 2022 (previously set to expire December 31, 2021). The government also announced that it would be extending the temporary relief…