Author: Hicks Morley

Ontario Seeks Feedback on the Introduction of a Leave of Absence for Long-Term Illness

· 2 min read

Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development has announced a consultation on the potential introduction of an unpaid leave of absence under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) of up to 27 weeks for employees experiencing serious or critical illness. This would arise either through the creation of a new leave or…

Ontario Announces Public Hearings on Bill 166

· 1 min read

The Standing Committee on Social Policy (Committee) will hold public hearings to consider Bill 166, Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024, on Monday, April 15, 2024 and Tuesday, April 16, 2024. For an overview of the changes proposed by Bill 166, see our FTR Now Ontario Tables Bill Introducing Policy Requirements for Colleges and…

Ontario Budget 2024 Tabled

· 1 min read

On March 26, 2024, the Ontario government tabled its 2024 budget, “Building a Better Ontario” (Budget). Among other things, the Budget describes developments in the province’s plan to release a new legislative framework for multi‐employer pension plans that provide target benefits. Bill 180, Building a Better Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2024 was introduced on the…

OLRB Considers Employer’s Disclosure Obligations Under OHSA After Workplace Harassment Investigation

· 3 min read

The Ontario Labour Relations Board (the OLRB) has provided guidance on the extent of an employer’s disclosure obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) when an investigation into workplace harassment has been conducted. In Shannon Horner v Stelco Inc. Lake Erie (Shannon Horner), the OLRB considered, for the first time, an employer’s disclosure…

Federal Minimum Wage to Increase April 1, 2024

· 1 min read

The federal government has announced that, effective April 1, 2024, the federal minimum wage will increase from $16.65 to $17.30 per hour. The increase applies to the federally regulated private sectors, including banks, postal and courier services, telecommunications, and interprovincial air, rail, road and marine transportation. The federal minimum wage is adjusted on an annual…

Divisional Court Confirms Concurrent Jurisdiction Model Applies to Human Rights Disputes in Unionized Workplaces

· 3 min read

The Divisional Court has confirmed that Ontario labour arbitrators share concurrent jurisdiction with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) over human rights disputes that arise in a unionized workplace.   As reported in our FTR Now of October 6, 2022, in Weilgosh v. London District Catholic School Board, the Tribunal determined it shared jurisdiction with…

Court Certifies Class Action Relating to Improper Access of Medical Files

· 4 min read

In Welshman v. Central Regional Health Authority, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador (Court) certified a class action in which the plaintiffs alleged that employees of the defendant, the Central Regional Health Authority, improperly accessed the private personal and medical information of 260 individuals outside of the scope of their employment. The Court’s decision…

Supreme Court of Canada Finds Individuals Have a Privacy Interest in Their IP Addresses

· 2 min read

In R. v. Bykovets, released on March 1, 2024, the majority of the Supreme Court of Canada (Court) found that individuals have a privacy interest in their internet protocol (IP) addresses. The issue arose in the context of the Court’s consideration as to whether police had breached section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights…