On October 17, 2018, Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018, received Royal Assent and came into force. On the same date, the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 (SFOA) was also proclaimed into force, effective October 17, 2018. Learn more in this FTR Now.
Industry: Municipalities & Municipal Agencies
Ongoing representation to private, public, and municipal sector in disability benefits/accommodation litigation.
Ongoing representation to private, public, and municipal sector in disability benefits/accommodation litigation.
OMHRA Fall ECHO Newsletter Features Two Articles by Jessica Toldo
The Fall 2018 issue of OMHRA’s ECHO newsletter features two articles co-authored by Hicks Morley lawyer Jessica Toldo.
In the article “Considerations for Municipal Employers When Drafting Termination Clauses in Employment Contracts,” Jessica discusses the importance of municipal employers having a clear and well-crafted termination provision to minimize the risk that a reviewing court will find the clause to be unenforceable, should litigation arise and highlight five key considerations when drafting termination clauses in light of some important developments in the case law.
The second article authored by Jessica, “HRTO Determines Requiring Proof of Eligibility to Work in Canada on a Permanent Basis is Discriminatory,” reviews a recent case where the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that a pre-employment ‘permanence requirement’ was discriminatory on the basis of the applicant’s citizenship.
Jacqueline Luksha Discusses the “Rules of Weed in the Workplace” on the CBC News Network
Hicks Morley’s Jacqueline Luksha discussed the implications that the legalization of cannabis will have in the workplace on the CBC News Network with John Northcott on October 10, 2018. Jacqueline explains the obligations of both the employer and the employee, and provides tips on how employers can prepare for the October 17th legislation.
Reminder: New Police Record Check Legislation in Force November 1, 2018
As we previously discussed, the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 (Act) comes into force on November 1, 2018. Commencing on that date, police services in Ontario will offer three types of records checks: criminal record checks, criminal record and judicial matters checks and vulnerable sector checks. The types of information that are authorized for…
Cannabis-Related Regulatory Proposals Published for Comment by October 7, 2018
On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government tabled Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018. On the same day, it published proposed cannabis-related amendments to two regulations, for comment by October 7, 2018. Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 Proposed Regulation If Bill 36 passes, the government is considering changes to O. Reg. 268/18 made…
Reduction of WSIB Premium Rates for Employers Announced
On September 26, 2018, the Ontario government and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced that WSIB premium rates for employers will be reduced by almost 30 percent, starting January 1, 2019. The announcement states the reduction is due to the elimination of the unfunded liability of the WSIB’s Insurance Fund. The unfunded liability…
Recreational Cannabis Update
On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government introduced Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018. If passed, Bill 36 will make significant amendments to the Cannabis Act, 2017, create the new Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and will amend various provincial legislation to adjust for the upcoming legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018.
New Cannabis Legislation Tabled by Ontario Government
On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government tabled Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018. If passed, Bill 36 will enact the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and will make amendments to the Cannabis Act, 2017, the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation Act, 2017 and the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, as well as consequential amendments…
Early Effective Date Announced for New Federal Parental Sharing Benefit
The government has announced that the new federal Parental Sharing Benefit will launch on March 17, 2019. As we previously reported, the 2018 federal Budget (Budget) proposed to establish an additional Parental Sharing Benefit with the goal of encouraging parents to share Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The intended goal of this reform was to allow…