Working for Workers Four Act, 2023 Receives Royal Assent

On March 21, 2024, Ontario’s Bill 149, Working for Workers Four Act, 2023 (Bill 149) received Royal Assent. Bill 149 amends several statutes including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA), Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act, 2022 (DPWRA), and Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006…

Employment Expenses: Updated Process and T2200 Form

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has published revised guidance on the process for claiming home office expenses for the 2023 taxation year just in time for tax season. The CRA has confirmed that the two temporary methods for claiming deductions for home office expenses—form T2200S, “Declaration of Conditions of Employment for Working at Home Due…

Ontario Court of Appeal Upholds in Part Lower Court Finding That Bill 124 Is Unconstitutional; Bill to Be Repealed

On February 12, 2024, the Ontario Court of Appeal rendered its much-anticipated decision in Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association v. Ontario (Attorney General). A majority of the Court upheld in part the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (ONSC) which found that Bill 124, the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations…

Majority of Ontario Appellate Court Finds Bill 124 Unconstitutional

On February 12, 2024 the Court of Appeal for Ontario issued its decision in Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association v. Ontario (Attorney General). A majority of the Court of Appeal upheld a lower court decision and found the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019 (commonly referred to as Bill 124) to…

Successfully represented a large hospital association as an intervenor at the Court of Appeal defending mandatory vaccination policies against injunction motions. Successfully represented that same hospital association in a similar matter at the Superior Court level.

Successfully represented a large hospital association as an intervenor at the Court of Appeal defending mandatory vaccination policies against injunction motions. Successfully represented that same hospital association in a similar matter at the Superior Court level.

Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA): Decoding the Codes: What’s the Impact of Bills 79 and 149?

In a session titled, “New Year, New Law: Unveiling Bill 79 and Anticipating Bill 149 – Insights for Success,” Diane Harbin will begin by decoding Bill 79 and examining recent updates to the legislation. She will discuss crucial provisions such as the inclusion of remote workers in the establishment definition, mass termination obligations and heightened fines for occupational health and safety violations.

Andrew Easto

Andrew is experienced in assisting senior management and in-house counsel at large public sector-institutions with employee benefit and executive compensation advisory matters.

Federal Court Approves $817 Million Settlement in Disability Class Action

Class action proceedings often end in negotiated settlements. Those settlements (which must be approved by a court) can be significant in monetary terms. In Manuge v. Canada, the Federal Court recently approved the settlement of a class action arising from the alleged miscalculation and underpayment of disability pension benefits for members and veterans of the…