On June 12, 2012, the Ontario government filed two regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. O. Reg. 148/12 (Designated Substances) adds “or to a physician designated by the Provincial Physician” to subsections 30(2) and 31(2) of O. Reg. 490/09, effective immediately. It further substitutes a new Table 1 (Exposure Limits) prescribing Agents and…
Industry: Social Services
Bill Adds Gender Identity, Gender Expression to Human Rights Code
On June 13, 2012, a Private Member Bill with three-party support passed at Third Reading, as amended by the Standing Committee on Social Policy. Bill 33, Toby’s Act (Right to be Free from Discrimination and Harassment Because of Gender Identity or Gender Expression), 2012 amends the Human Rights Code to specify that every person has…
Ontario Employers Required to Post New OHSA Poster
The Ontario government has announced that employers are now required to post a new workplace poster, “Health & Safety at Work – Prevention Starts Here,” pursuant to their obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This requirement will be enforced by Ministry of Labour inspectors beginning on October 1, 2012. The poster was developed…
Federal Pooled Registered Pension Plan (“PRPP”) Legislation Passes Third Reading
On June 12, 2012, Bill C-25, An Act relating to pooled registered pension plans and making related amendments to other Acts, passed Third Reading in the House of Commons. It will proceed to the Senate for further debate.
Changes to WSIB Insurance Fund to Come into Force January 2013
The Ontario government has proclaimed subsections 1(2), 2(2), 3(2) and 5(1) of Schedule 21 of the Helping Ontario Families and Managing Responsibly Act, 2010, which amends the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, into force on January 1, 2013. Among other things, the amendments provide for changes to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s insurance…
ESA Compliance Blitz to Target Temporary Workers, Agencies
Throughout June, July and August of 2012, the Ontario government will be conducting targeted inspections of temporary employee agencies across the province to ensure compliance with the Employment Standards Act, 2000. The blitz will focus on the following: minimum wage; vacation pay; public holidays, including time off and public holiday pay; and rules related to…
Bill 77, Labour Relations Amendment Act (Fairness for Employees), 2012
On May 3, 2012, Bill 77, Labour Relations Amendment Act (Fairness for Employees), 2012, a Private Member’s Bill, passed at Second Reading and was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs; the Bill was considered on June 7, 2012. Bill 77 proposes a number of amendments to the Labour Relations Act, 1995…
New WSIB Insurance Fund, Temporary Indexing Regulations Filed
On June 5, 2012, the Ontario government filed O. Reg 141/12 “Insurance Fund,” made under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (“Act”). In part, the regulation requires the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”) to ensure the insurance fund meets the following sufficiency ratios by the following dates: 60 per cent on or before December…
Ontario Announces Consultations to Enhance BPS Pension Fund Investment Efficiencies
Further to initiatives first announced in its 2012 Budget, the Ontario government has appointed a special Pension Investment Advisor, Bill Morneau, to develop recommendations for the government’s consideration through a public consultation process in anticipation of a new legislative framework that will facilitate the pooling of pension fund assets in the broader public sector (“BPS”)….
2012 London Client Conference
Position Your Organization Ahead of the Field in Human Resources Since the founding of Hicks Morley in 1972, tremendous changes in the legal, social and technology landscape have affected the way employers in Canada manage their workplaces. Now more than ever, employers must take the lead and respond to the countless new and different challenges…