Ontario Introduces Legislation to Reverse Key Bill 148 Employment and Labour Reforms

On October 23, 2018, the Ontario government announced that it will be introducing proposed legislation today to repeal many of the significant employment and labour law reforms enacted by Bill 148 – including provisions with respect to equal pay, paid personal emergency (PEL) days, scheduling, card-based certification for certain industries and eliminating the requirement that employers provide unions with contact information for employees where they demonstrate that they have 20% support. Learn more in this FTR Now.

Employers Take Note: Provincial Cannabis Legislation and Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 (Including New Poster Requirements) Now in Force

On October 17, 2018, Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018, received Royal Assent and came into force. On the same date, the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 (SFOA) was also proclaimed into force, effective October 17, 2018. Learn more in this FTR Now.

Appellate Court Considers “Appropriate Means” Test, Rejects Extension of Limitation Period

The Ontario Court of Appeal recently interpreted the “appropriate means” element of the test for discoverability under the Limitations Act, 2002 (s. 5(1)(a)(iv)) in Nasr Hospitality Services Inc. v Intact Insurance, a matter concerning a claim under a commercial insurance policy. In this case, the insured promptly reported to the insurer and made a claim…

Court of Appeal Upholds Cause Dismissal for Breach of Fiduciary Duty

In the case of Dunsmuir v. Royal Group, Inc., the Ontario Court of Appeal recently upheld the cause termination of a Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of a publicly-traded company for breach of fiduciary duty. The employee had commenced a claim against the employer for wrongful dismissal and sought approximately $6.6 million in damages….

HRTO Dismissal of Application for Delay of One Day Upheld by Appellate Court

In a useful decision for employers, the Ontario Divisional Court has confirmed that the one-year timeline for filing an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) will be strictly enforced. The decision provides a valuable warning to applicants that the time limits required to bring a complaint are indeed requirements and will only…