On October 1, 2020, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) dismissed four appeals which alleged that Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspectors had refused to inspect and / or issue orders to the Ministry of Education (MOE) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to correct alleged deficiencies in the province-wide, MOE-issued, school safety guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic. The appeals were filed by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, and L’Association des enseignantes en enseignants franco-ontariens (collectively, the Unions).
Industry: School Boards
New Province-Wide Masking Requirements Now in Force; Additional Restrictions for Ottawa, Toronto and Peel Region
Ontario has again revised its Rules For Areas In Stage 3 (Rules) in light of the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in Ontario. The new rules include a province-wide mandatory masking requirement and additional restrictions for Ottawa, Toronto and Peel Region Public Health Units (defined as the “Enhanced Measures Zone”). The changes came into force on October 3, 2020.
Nadine Zacks Quoted in Canadian HR Reporter on Screening Workers for COVID
Canadian HR Reporter quoted Hicks Morley’s Nadine Zacks in a October 1, 2020 article titled “Are you screening workers for COVID?” Employers in Ontario are now required to apply a daily COVID-19 screening test to employees and essential visitors before they enter the workplace. As noted in the article, employers should keep appropriate records so…
Federal Government Proposes New Holiday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
On September 29, 2020, the federal government tabled Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation). If passed, Bill C-5 would create a new federal holiday entitled the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, with the purpose of…
COVID-19 Leave in Canada Labour Code to be Extended
Early on September 30, 2020, the federal House of Commons passed Bill C-4, COVID-19 Response Measures Act. It amends the Leave Related to COVID-19 provisions of the Canada Labour Code to extend the leave to September 25, 2021. It also enacts the Canada Recovery Benefits Act which establishes certain benefits as a result of COVID-19….
Employers Take Note: New Requirements for COVID-19 Screening for Employees and Essential Visitors Now in Effect **
The Ontario government has announced that Ontario employers are now required to apply a COVID-19 screening test to employees and essential visitors before they enter the workplace.
Proposed Extension of Current Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Calculation for Inactive Employees Through Claim Period 8
The federal government has announced that it intends to extend the current treatment of employees on leave with pay under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program by a further four weeks, from September 27, 2020 to October 24, 2020 (CEWS claim period 8).
Andrew J. Movrin
Andrew Movrin is a labour, employment and privacy lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. His practice emphasizes the defence of unionized and non-unionized employers in both the public and private sectors before courts, arbitrators and tribunals. Andrew’s practice covers a wide variety of labour, employment and human rights issues. and privacy issues.
Alia Rashid
Alia Rashid, a lawyer with Hicks Morley’s Toronto office, provides advice to employers and management in both the private and public sectors on labour, employment and human rights issues. This includes wrongful dismissal actions, employment standards, labour disputes, grievance arbitrations, human rights and accommodation.
Ontario Introduces Temporary Funding Relief for Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Sponsors of defined benefit (DB) pension plans registered in Ontario have been given significant temporary contribution relief as part of the Ontario government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 21, 2020, Ontario Regulation 520/20 (Regulation) was filed. The Regulation amends Regulation 909 made under the Ontario Pension Benefits Act (PBA) to permit temporary contribution deferral for certain eligible DB pension plans, and extend the time over which catch-up contributions following the filing of a new valuation report must be made.