The legalization of recreational cannabis, which came into effect on October 17, 2018, has raised many questions for employers about cannabis use in the workplace, as well as potential coverage of cannabis under benefit plans. In this video, Mariana Kamenetsky and Kathryn Meehan talk about coverage for medical cannabis under Ontario’s workers’ compensation system.
Industry: Colleges
Bill 66 Ordered for Third Reading with Committee Changes to Non-Construction Employer Provisions of LRA
On March 21, 2019, Bill 66, the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2019, was referred for Third Reading in the Ontario Legislature by the Standing Committee on General Government, with amendments. Bill 66 is omnibus legislation that, if passed, will amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA) and the Pension…
Federal Budget 2019 – Something for (Almost) Everyone?
On March 19, 2019, the federal government tabled its 2019 Budget, “Investing in the Middle Class.” This is an election year, and there is a wide array of initiatives sprinkled throughout the Budget, covering many groups and sectors. There is something for (almost) everyone. In this FTR Now, we focus on the key employment, labour, executive compensation, pension and employee benefits announcements of most interest to employers, human resources professionals, plan sponsors and administrators.
Federal Budget 2019 Tabled
On March 19, 2019, the federal government tabled its Budget 2019, “Investing in the Middle Class.” We are reviewing the Budget and an FTR Now highlighting initiatives of interest to employers, human resources professionals and pension plan administrators will be available shortly on our website.
Proposed Workplace Law Reforms in Bill 66 Now at Committee – Note Short Deadlines
On March 6, 2019, Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2019, was referred to the Standing Committee on General Government. The Committee will hold public hearings on the Bill in Toronto on Monday, March 18, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The deadline to submit requests to…
EI Changes – Parental Sharing Benefit Coming into Force on March 17, 2019
Changes to the Employment Insurance Act will come into effect on March 17, 2019 to implement the additional Parental Sharing Benefit announced in the 2018 Federal Budget. Additional employment insurance (EI) parental benefits (up to 5 weeks of standard parental benefits or up to 8 weeks of extended parental benefits) will be available to…
Government Announces Consultation on Pay Transparency Reporting Requirements
On February 19, 2019, the Ministry of Labour invited feedback on its Pay Transparency Consultation Paper to assist it in the development of regulatory pay transparency reporting requirements under the Pay Transparency Act, 2018 (Act). The coming into force date of that Act was postponed indefinitely by Bill 57, Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act,…
Attention Ontario Colleges and Universities: It’s Time to Review Your Sexual Violence Policies!
All Ontario colleges and universities have an important task to complete soon. They must conduct a review of their sexual violence policies, and this review must consider student input.
Reaching Out – Fourteenth Edition
Dear Friends, Welcome to our Winter 2019 edition of Reaching Out. The last 18 months have been a tumultuous time in employment law in Ontario. We saw the introduction of sweeping changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995 in January 2018, only to see many of them repealed in January…
WSIB Issues New Policy on Medical Cannabis
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has issued Policy 17-01-10 Cannabis for Medical Purposes (Policy) which will come into effect on March 1, 2019. The WSIB has previously covered the cost of medical cannabis in some circumstances, primarily for the relief of pain in accordance with section 33 of the Workplace Safety and Insurance…