On February 12, 2024, the Ontario Court of Appeal rendered its much-anticipated decision in Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association v. Ontario (Attorney General). A majority of the Court upheld in part the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (ONSC) which found that Bill 124, the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations…
Industry: Social Services
Majority of Ontario Appellate Court Finds Bill 124 Unconstitutional
On February 12, 2024 the Court of Appeal for Ontario issued its decision in Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association v. Ontario (Attorney General). A majority of the Court of Appeal upheld a lower court decision and found the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019 (commonly referred to as Bill 124) to…
Federal Court Approves $817 Million Settlement in Disability Class Action
Class action proceedings often end in negotiated settlements. Those settlements (which must be approved by a court) can be significant in monetary terms. In Manuge v. Canada, the Federal Court recently approved the settlement of a class action arising from the alleged miscalculation and underpayment of disability pension benefits for members and veterans of the…
IPC Power to Determine Administrative Monetary Penalties Takes Effect
On January 1, 2024, changes to the General Regulation made under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) took effect (see O. Reg. 343/23). The changes stipulate how the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) determines the amount of administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) issued as part of its enforcement powers for violations of PHIPA….
Looking Ahead to 2024: A Newsletter for Social Services Employers
Dear Friends, As we welcome 2024, we are back with another edition of Reaching Out. Over the last year, we have seen our social services clients continue to deal with budget challenges and labour shortages. Many are providing permanent and/or hybrid remote work arrangements, where possible, to attract and retain employees. Accordingly, we provide a…
2023 in Review – Key Legislative Updates
Last week we published “The Year in Review – 2023 Cases of Note.” This week we are back with our review of notable legislative updates from 2023 that we believe will be of interest to employers, human resources professionals and pension plan administrators. We also identify some legislation to watch for in 2024. Ontario Employment…
The Year in Review – 2023 Cases of Note
We are back with our annual review of the prior year’s notable cases that we believe will be of interest to employers and human resources professionals. We also identify some cases to watch for in 2024. Next week, we will bring you our review of notable 2023 legislative updates. Cases of Note Employment Termination of…
Final Phase of 2016 CPP Enhancements Takes Effect January 1, 2024
Starting in 2024, mandatory contributions to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) will increase with the introduction of additional CPP contributions up to a second earnings ceiling. The increase comes as part of the final phase of enhancements to the CPP that was introduced in 2016 through the federal Bill C-26, An Act to amend the…
Raising the Bar – Year-End Edition
As we welcome the holidays, we thought it would be a perfect time to share our latest edition of Raising the Bar. We hope you enjoy it and have some well-deserved time off over the holiday break. In this issue, we review i) the threshold Ontario courts expect employers to meet in justifying terminations for…
Reminder of Upcoming Accessibility Compliance Report Deadline
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) sets out the process for developing and enforcing accessibility standards in Ontario. Its purpose is to achieve accessibility standards for Ontarians with physical and mental disabilities by 2025. All levels of government, private sector organizations and non-profit organizations must comply with this legislation. The Accessibility Compliance Report is a…