Ontario Passes Workplace Law Reforms

On December 10, 2015, the Ontario government passed Bill 109, the Employment and Labour Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015 and Bill 144, the Budget Measures Act, 2015, two pieces of legislation that implement a number of reforms to various workplace laws. Among other things, Bill 109 amends: the labour relations provisions of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (“FPPA”) to incorporate…

Ontario Passes Tips and Gratuities Bill

On December 7, 2015, Bill 12 An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 With Respect to Tips and Other Gratuities passed Third Reading in the Ontario Legislature. The Bill will prohibit employers from withholding, making deductions from, or collecting tips or other gratuities from employees unless authorized to do so under the Employment Standards…

Police Record Checks Legislation Passes Third Reading

On December 1, 2015, Bill 113, the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015, as amended by the Standing Committee on Justice Policy, passed at Third Reading. When proclaimed in force, this legislation will implement a new process governing requests for searches of the Canadian Police Information Centre databases, or other police databases, in connection with screening an…

Private Member’s Bill Targets Temporary Help Agencies

On November 18, 2015, Bill 143, Employment Standards Amendment Act (Temporary Help Agencies), 2015, a Private Member’s Bill was introduced in the Ontario Legislature by a Liberal MPP. The Bill seeks to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) with respect to the regulation of temporary help agencies. SUMMARY OF BILL 143 If passed, Bill…

Colin Youngman

Colin advises and represents both unionized and non-unionized employers throughout Eastern Ontario. He is regularly engaged in wrongful dismissal litigation, labour arbitration cases, Ontario Labour Relations Board proceedings and human rights proceedings.

Scott T. Williams

Scott is a labour, employment and privacy lawyer and the chair of the firm’s Information, Data Security and Privacy Practice Group. He advises a wide variety of employers on all issues related to labour and employment and information and privacy matters in both unionized and non-unionized settings.

Stephen J. Shamie

Stephen is a senior labour and employment lawyer with over 30 years of experience advising and representing employers on a wide variety of matters relating to human resources law. His practice emphasizes the negotiation of collective agreements and the defence of employers in arbitration cases, human rights hearings, labour board proceedings and before the courts.

Vincent M. Panetta

Vince advises a range of employers in the public and private sectors on all matters of employment law, labour relations, privacy and human rights.

Edward J. O’Dwyer

As an experienced litigator, Edward acts as employer counsel in wrongful dismissal and wrongful competition matters for clients in a variety of sectors including federally regulated employers and employers in the financial services industry. He regularly appears before arbitrators, administrative tribunals and appellate courts. In addition to his courtroom experience, he routinely acts for employers in complex WSIB/WSIAT matters including cases involving traumatic mental stress, chronic mental stress and presumptive PTSD.