On December 6, 2018, Bill 57, Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 passed Third Reading and received Royal Assent. On the same date, the government tabled Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018, omnibus legislation which, if passed, will make significant amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA), the Pension Benefits Act (PBA) and other statutes.
Industry: Financial Services
The Right to Disconnect and More: Final Federal Post of 2018
In this smartphone and email-intensive world, should there be a “right to disconnect”? In our final Federal Post of 2018, George Vuicic looks at this question, which was discussed in the federal government’s recent report on modernizing federal labour standards. Find out what’s happening on the legislative front. Kim Pepper reviews new legislation requiring the…
Bill 57 Referred to Committee – Note Short Deadline for Making Submissions
On November 28, 2018, Bill 57, the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018, was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs (Committee). The Committee will meet on Monday December 3, 2018 for public hearings on the Bill. Any request to appear before the Committee must be submitted to the Clerk of…
Federal Government Issues Fall Economic Statement
On November 21, 2018, the federal government issued its Fall Economic Statement 2018, “Investing in Middle Class Jobs” (Statement). Among other things, the Statement: reiterates the Budget 2018 commitment of an evidence-based approach towards addressing retirement security and announces that targeted consultations will soon be launched as the government continues to explore ways to enhance…
Legislation Reversing Parts of Bill 148 Passes
On November 21, 2018, Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018, as amended by the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, passed Third Reading…
The Law Regarding Service Animals [Video]
Failing to accommodate guide dogs or service animals is potentially a failure to accommodate a disability. There may also be competing rights or obligations to consider when such situations arise in your organization. In this video, Elizabeth Winter takes us through the law regarding service animals – an important area of human rights law – with a focus on best practices for identifying a service animal and your organization’s responsibility to accommodate staff and clients.
The Outlook is More Change: Ontario Proposes Significant Reforms to Pension and Employment-Related Statutes
The Ontario government’s Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review (Fiscal Review) and supporting omnibus legislation, Bill 57, the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 (Bill 57), propose a number of significant reforms and initiatives to pension, benefit, tax and employment-related legislation that will impact your workplace and pension plan administration. Bill 57 also contains proposals related specifically to fire services, which were outlined in our prior communication, Ontario Government Tables Legislation Impacting Bargaining and Interest Arbitration in the Fire Sector.
Court Uses Expanded Fact-Finding Powers to Grant Summary Judgment in Departing Employee Case
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently considered the obligations of departing employees to their former employers with respect to fiduciary duty, confidential information and solicitation of former customers. In OIBC v. KO, Ms. Ko had worked with Overseas Insurance Brokers Corporation (OIBC or Plaintiff) for 23 years as an insurance broker. She gave her…
FTR Quarterly – Issue 11
In This Issue Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans Recreational Cannabis and Your Workplace: Five Steps to Consider Featured Topic – Cannabis Expertise Featured Articles Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans By: Natasha D. Monkman With the legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018, employers across Canada have been preparing to answer questions about whether…
Setting up Shop in Canada? What U.S. Employers Need to Know About Canadian Human Rights Law [Video]
Understanding Canadian human rights law is key to ensuring your organization is fully prepared to deal with issues when they arise. In this video, David Alli discusses what U.S. employers need to know about Canadian human rights law (known as “anti-discrimination law” in the United States) and outlines some key differences between Canadian and U.S. laws.