September 19, Day of Mourning: What Employers Should Know

On September 13, 2022, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that September 19, 2022, the date of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral, will be designated a National Day of Mourning and a designated holiday for the public service of Canada (i.e. employees of the Government of Canada’s departments, agencies and other public bodies). The day…

Arbitrator Finds Three-Dose Mandatory Vaccination Requirement Reasonable in Long-Term Care Homes

In Regional Municipality of York v Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 905 (Long Term Care Unit), Arbitrator Stephen Raymond found that a mandatory vaccination policy (Policy) which required long-term care home employees to receive three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine was reasonable. The employer, the Regional Municipality of York, operates two long-term care homes….

Ensuring Respect in the Workplace

The occurrence of inappropriate conduct in the workplace can have a detrimental effect on the workplace as a whole and can lead to serious implications for organizations and their HR professionals.

Arbitrator Upholds Mandatory Vaccination Policy but Finds Enforcement Mechanisms (Suspension and Termination) Unreasonable

On August 26, 2022, Arbitrator Derek Rogers released Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, I.A.A.F. Local 3888 and City of Toronto in which he considered the reasonableness of the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy (Policy) of the City of Toronto (City). The Arbitrator found that the Policy itself was, and remains, reasonable. However, he found that the…

Ministry Updates ESA Guide on Electronic Monitoring Policies

On July 13, 2022, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (Ministry) updated its online guide to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Guide) to include a chapter on written policy on electronic monitoring of employees. The chapter provides guidance on recent Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) amendments that require employers with 25 or…

Employers Take Note: Changes to the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave

Employers should be aware of imminent changes to an employee’s entitlements to the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (IDEL), made under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 21, 2022, the Ontario government announced that it is extending entitlement to the three days of paid IDEL (Paid IDEL) for…

Family Status Accommodation Requests

Requests for family status accommodation have become increasingly common in recent years, and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these types of requests are only expected to increase. Whether an employee requests accommodation due to the need to supervise their child during the day, provide increased support for an elderly parent, or care for a family member who has contracted the virus, it is critical that the employer respond in a manner consistent with the current state of the law on family status accommodation. Join us for a webinar that addresses the legal obligations and best practices to keep in mind when engaging in the accommodation process, both during the pandemic and beyond.