On October 20, 2009, Bill 168, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace) 2009 was debated and carried at Second Reading. The Bill has been Ordered referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy by the Ontario Legislature. As you may know, the Committee review process can take days,…
Industry: Retail & Wholesale Trade
New Rules of Civil Procedure
Effective January 1, 2010, the Rules of Civil Procedure governing all civil litigation matters brought in the Superior Court of Ontario will come into force. This FTR Now highlights some of the key changes that will impact the manner in which employment-related actions are litigated, including wrongful dismissal claims, constructive dismissal claims, and claims for…
Ban on Hand-Held Devices And Display Screens Starts In October
In our FTR Now of September 24, 2009, “Cell Phone and Blackberry Restrictions For Drivers Are Coming Into Force: Is Your Workplace Ready?,” we provided you with a detailed overview of the new legislation restricting the use of hand-held mobile technology devices and presence of display screens while driving. Yesterday, the Ontario Government announced that…
Recent Developments under the AODA
It was a busy summer of new developments under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”), several of which employers and other organizations should note: the “Initial Proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard” was released for public comment; the “Final Proposed Accessible Information and Communications Standard” was submitted to the Minister for approval; the…
Covert Surveillance Guidelines for Federally Regulated Employers
On May 27, 2009 the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada issued an OPC Guideline Document: Guidance on Covert Video Surveillance in the Private Sector. The Guideline Document outlines the Commissioners recommendations to private sector organizations engaging in covert surveillance in the course of commercial activity, as well as to federally regulated employers engaging…
Ontario Government Introduces Workplace Violence Legislation
On April 20, 2009, the Ontario Government introduced amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act) to address workplace violence and harassment. If passed, Bill 168, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), 2009, would require employers to develop policies to address workplace violence and harassment and to…
Federal Government Consults on Changes to Labour Standards
The Federal Government has launched a consultation process to determine whether changes should be made to federal labour standards legislation, which is found in Part III of the Canada Labour Code (the “Code”) and the Canada Labour Standards Regulations. The consultations cover a wide range of subjects, and, if acted upon, would have a significant…
Ontario Government Announces Pension Funding Relief
Spurred on by the current economic unrest, the Ontario Government announced yesterday that it will introduce legislation in early 2009 to provide pension plans with solvency funding relief. Following on the heels of the release of the Report of the Expert Commission on Pensions, the proposed temporary solvency relief is intended to better ensure the…
Enjoying a Safe Holiday Season
The holiday season is once again upon us. While some employers may be scaling back on festivities this year, it remains as important as ever that employers take proactive steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees who attend office parties or other celebrations. Over the years, a number of court decisions have…
Protect Your Domain Name from Rogue Departing Employees
We have recently helped a number of our clients retain and regain control of registered domain names that have either been threatened or taken by departing employees. We suggest you take steps to control against this risk. WHAT’S IN A NAME? A domain name may seem like a simple piece of intellectual property, but once…