On February 25, 2016, the Ontario government tabled its 2016 Budget “Jobs for Today and Tomorrow” and the corresponding Budget Bill, Bill 173, Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016.
Industry: Government Ministries & Agencies (Federal and Provincial)
Ontario Introduces PTSD Legislation
On February 18, 2016, the Ontario government introduced Bill 163, Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), 2016. If passed, Bill 163 will, among other things, amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 to create a rebuttable statutory presumption in favour of granting workers’ compensation benefits to certain workers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. If passed, Bill…
Ontario Tables PTSD Legislation
On February 18, 2016, the Ontario government tabled Bill 163, Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), 2016, amending the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 and the Ministry of Labour Act. If passed, Bill 163 would create a statutory presumption in favour of granting workers’ compensation benefits to first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic…
Ontario Filing Requirements for Statements of Investment Policies and Procedures and Form 14
Recent amendments to Ontario’s Pension Benefits Act regulations now require that administrators of Ontario registered pension plans file Statements of Investment Policies and Procedures (“SIPPs”) with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (“FSCO”), together with a detailed information summary form (“Form 14”). We discuss these new filing requirements and supporting FSCO resources in this FTR…
ORPP Implementation Delayed to January 1, 2018
On February 16, 2016, the Ontario government announced that the first wave of Ontario Registered Pension Plan (“ORPP”) implementation has been delayed by one year to January 1, 2018. This change, which impacts certain large employers with more than 500 employees, is one of several significant developments outlined in this FTR Now. THE ANNOUNCEMENT The…
2016 Toronto Client Conference
Change is a constant in the human resources world: ongoing developments in the law, whether through new legislation or the courts, and the rapid evolution of best practices create a fast-paced learning environment for human resources professionals.
Court Recognizes New Privacy Tort: “Public Disclosure of Embarrassing Private Facts”
In a case that can only add to the risk of privacy claims faced by organizations, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently awarded damages based on the new tort of “public disclosure of embarrassing private facts.” In Doe 464533 v N.D., the Court awarded damages to a plaintiff whose former boyfriend coaxed her to…
Court of Appeal Rejects Use of “Snapshot” Approach to Determine Exclusivity in Contractor Relationships
Employment relationships generally fall into one of three categories: employee, dependent contractor or independent contractor. Exclusivity is often a key consideration when determining what category applies. Recently, the Court of Appeal for Ontario considered the degree of exclusivity required in a dependent contractor relationship in Keenan v. Canac Kitchens Ltd. In Keenan, the plaintiffs had…
PTSD Strategy Announced by Ontario
On February 1, 2016, the Ontario government announced new initiatives designed to address post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) suffered by first responders. The initiatives build on the feedback received by the government at its Summit on Work-Related Traumatic Mental Stress, hosted by the Minister of Labour in March 2015. In this FTR Now, we review these…
New Proposed Federal Bill to Reverse Canada Labour Code Certification and Decertification Reforms, C-377 Union Disclosure Obligations
Further to its election platform, on January 28, 2016, the federal government introduced Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, the Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Income Tax Act. Among other things, this legislation would, if passed, amend the Canada Labour Code (“CLC”) to effectively repeal…