Funding challenges continue to grow in the healthcare sector, with many healthcare facilities facing deficits and corresponding reductions to programs and staff, while at the same time facing increasing demands for healthcare services. In addition, there is an ongoing push to integrate healthcare services—which significantly impacts human resources.
With a number of issues at stake, from workplace accommodation, long-term disability, sick pay and WSIB claims, to workplace harassment and violence claims, the sector is experiencing increased employment litigation and arbitration.
Our healthcare group has provided services to the healthcare sector for over 50 years. We act for well over 100 hospitals and other healthcare providers in Ontario. Hicks Morley’s close involvement with our healthcare clients—combined with a decades-long relationship with the Ontario Hospital Association—gives us unique insight into the needs of Ontario’s healthcare sector.
Clients
- hospitals
- long-term care facilities
- medical and dental offices and clinics
- family health teams
- diagnostic imaging facilities
- community and mental health agencies
- home care providers
- laboratories and medical research centres
- healthcare service and product suppliers
- biomedical manufacturers
Services
We bring the full depth of our firm’s expertise, along with our extensive experience in working in this area, to help healthcare employers:
- proactively reduce employee turnover, manage employee performance and foster positive labour relations
- develop, review and implement policies on disability and attendance management, workplace violence, human rights, occupational health and safety, workplace safety and insurance, and privacy
- respond to grievances, wrongful dismissals and human rights claims
- effectively deal with restructuring challenges under the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act, 1997
- comply with their obligations under the Personal Health Information Protection Act and respond to privacy breach, data security and data loss incidents
- deal with access to information requests
- manage capacity and consent issues
- properly investigate and report on accidents and workplace incidents
- handle mental health issues in the workplace
- navigate compensation restraint issues under the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act, the Excellent Care for All Act and the Ontario government’s Perquisites Directive
- prepare for and attend at Independent Assessment Committee hearings
We represent healthcare clients:
- throughout the collective bargaining process
- during grievance and arbitration proceedings
- before employment-related tribunals such as the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and its Appeals Tribunal and the Ontario Labour Relations Board
- in Information and Privacy Commissioner investigations
- in health and safety proceedings
- at all levels of court in wrongful dismissal actions, judicial review proceedings, privacy lawsuits and other employment-related litigation
The Hicks Morley Advantage
In addition to our thorough understanding of the industry through advising and representing healthcare clients, our team of lawyers assists clients by providing them with regular updates on developments in their area and by holding leadership training seminars and conferences on a number of general human resources topics that may impact them.