On May 25, 2015, the Ontario government introduced Bill 103, the Protecting the School Year Act, 2015. Bill 103 is back-to-work legislation intended to bring an end to ongoing strikes at three school boards – the Durham District School Board, the Peel District School Board and the Rainbow District School Board (collectively, the “School Boards”)….
Industry: Education
Ontario Passes PRPP Legislation
On May 26, 2015, Bill 57, the Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act, 2015, passed Third Reading, as amended by the Standing Committee on Social Policy. The Bill, which is awaiting Royal Assent, will come into force on a date to be named by proclamation. As we previously reported, pooled registered pension plans (“PRPPs”) are a…
Federal Government Announces Possible Canada Pension Plan Expansion
On May 26, 2015, the federal government announced that it will conduct public consultations regarding potential changes to the Canada Pension Plan (“CPP”) to allow Canadians to voluntarily contribute more. No details were released at the time of the announcement. We will continue to monitor any developments regarding a possible expansion of the CPP.
Alberta Extends Deadline for Filing Amendments Relating to EPPA Reform
As previously reported, the pension reforms in British Columbia will come into force on September 30, 2015. Amendments to plans registered in British Columbia which reflect the new legislative requirements must be filed by December 31, 2015. While likely to follow suit, the Ontario pension regulator, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, has not yet…
Michael Hines Quoted in the Toronto Star
Hicks Morley’s Michael Hines was quoted in a May 20, 2015 Toronto Star article entitled “New bargaining law unclear on teacher strikes, hearing told“. The article refers to a ruling on whether three Ontario high school strikes are illegal, based on a new law that does not seem to clearly ban local strikes over centrally…
Employment Standards Enforcement Blitzes Announced for Ontario Workplaces
The Ontario Ministry of Labour has announced that it will do province-wide enforcement blitzes of workplaces that employ “new, young and vulnerable workers engaged in “precarious employment”” and temporary foreign workers to ensure that employers are complying with their obligations under the Employment Standards Act, 2000. The blitzes will take place from May 1 to…
Changes to the Federal Pension Investment Rules
In March 2015, the federal government published final regulations amending investment rules under the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985 (“Regulations”). These reforms apply to federally registered pension plans and to pension plans registered in provincial jurisdictions that have adopted Schedule III of the Regulations, as amended (the “Federal Investment Rules” or “FIR”). As we previously…
B.C. Pension Reforms Effective September 30, 2015
Effective September 30, 2015, British Columbia’s new Pension Benefits Standards Act (“PBSA”) and supporting regulation, the Pension Benefits Standards Regulation (the “New Regulation”), will come into force, at last implementing key legislative changes originally passed by the British Columbia government in the spring of 2012. Plans must be administered to reflect the new legislative requirements…
Ontario Begins Consultations on Labour and Employment Reform
On May 14, 2015, the Ontario government formally commenced the "Changing Workplaces" consultations first announced in February. To facilitate this process, the government also published a guide outlining the scope of the consultations, the specific issues on which the government is soliciting feedback and instructions on how to participate. You can view the government’s announcement…
2015 Spring Edition
FOCUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS All-pervasive: human rights in the workplace LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS Medical marijuana and the workplace: what’s your legal obligation? Preventing sexual harassment in the workplace PROFILE Diversity first Download PDF