Federal Government Publishes Exemptions to New Hours of Work and Notice of Schedule Requirements under Canada Labour Code

The federal government recently published Exemptions from and Modifications to Hours of Work Provisions Regulations (Regulations) made under the Canada Labour Code (CLC). The Regulations provide certain exemptions and modifications to the CLC provisions requiring employers to provide 96 hours’ notice of work schedule, 24 hours’ notice of shift change, 30-minute breaks every 5 hours…

Introduction to the Duty to Accommodate Training Workshop

There’s no such thing as a “textbook” for accommodation. Your employee may have a challenging physical or mental disability that impacts their ability to do the job. Each scenario is unique and types of disabilities vary. How you respond to an individual’s request can mean significant liability for your organization.

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.

Advanced Accommodation Principles: Disability Management Training Workshop

Knowing how to manage the accommodation process related to an individual’s code-defined disability can be a day-to-day challenge for employers and service providers alike. Join us as we discuss the legal obligations and best practices to keep in mind as they relate to disability management.

Ontario Announces Further Extension of Paid and Deemed Infectious Disease Emergency Leaves

On December 7, 2021, the Ontario government announced that it would be extending the program that provides eligible employees with up to three days of paid infectious disease emergency leave (Paid IDEL) until July 31, 2022 (previously set to expire December 31, 2021). The government also announced that it would be extending the temporary relief…

Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, Receives Royal Assent

On December 2, 2021, Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021, received Royal Assent. We reviewed Bill 27 in detail in our FTR Now of October 26, 2021, Ontario Proposes Significant Changes to ESA and Other Employment-Related Legislation, as well as our FTR Now of December 1, 2021, Ontario Passes Bill 27, Working for Workers…

Federal Government Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Federally Regulated Workplaces

On December 7, 2021, the federal government announced that it will propose regulations under Part II of the Canada Labour Code to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory in all federally regulated workplaces. The government stated that it will be consulting with key stakeholders on these new regulations, which it anticipates will come into force in…

Ontario Passes Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, As Amended at Committee

On November 30, 2021, the Ontario government passed Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021.

The Bill will amend a number of statutes, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997….

Arbitrator Finds Mandatory Vaccination Policy to be Unreasonable

In this FTR Now, we review the arbitration award issued on November 11, 2021 by Arbitrator John Stout in Electrical Safety Authority and Power Workers’ Union, in which he assessed the reasonableness of an employer’s mandatory vaccination policy. In the specific context of the workplace, and its associated workplace dangers and hazards arising from COVID-19…

Ontario Introduces Legislation to Protect Pension Plan Whistle-blowers

On November 4, 2021, the Ontario government introduced Bill 43, Build Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021 (Bill 43) for first reading. Among other things, Bill 43 includes proposed amendments to the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario Act, 2016 (FSRA Act) to include protections for whistle-blowers in the pension sector and the other sectors regulated…