On August 23, 2019, the Ontario government announced that it would engage youth, families, caregivers, frontline workers and child welfare sector leaders to provide input concerning the child welfare system. The consultation process is aimed at addressing certain challenges identified by the government.
Industry: Social Services
Family Status and Accommodation
Family status is one of fastest growing areas of human rights law. Increasingly, adjudicators are focusing on whether employers have met their procedural obligations under the Human Rights Code. The following checklist will help you develop an effective internal process for assessing and responding to requests for accommodation on the basis of family status.
FTR Quarterly – Issue 13
In This Issue: The Gig Economy, AI In the Workforce and more!
MOL Announces Safety Blitz Targeted at Summer Students
The Ministry of Labour has announced that it will be conducting safety blitzes focused on summer students with targeted inspections of the retail, restaurant, food, beverage, hospitality and recreational services industries. The blitz will continue until the end of August 2019.
Religious Accommodation
This Client Toolkit provides employers with guidelines and best practices for the accommodation of “creed” in the workplace, and ensuring compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code).
“Non-Construction” Employer Deeming Provision under LRA Now in Force
On April 3, 2019, Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2019, received Royal Assent. Among other things, the Bill amends the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA) to deem certain public sector entities as “non-construction” employers to whom the construction provisions of the LRA will not apply. Such entities include municipalities, local housing corporations, social services…
Gender Identity and Gender Expression
Gender identity and gender expression are protected grounds under Ontario’s Human Rights Code (Code). While the law in this area is highly dynamic, this Client Toolkit provides employers with guidelines and best practices for understanding its unique aspects, supporting trans people in the workplace, and ensuring compliance with the Code.
Ontario Proposes Increase to Hours for Unionized Employees Under ESA Overtime Averaging Agreements
On June 19, 2019, the government published two regulatory proposals which relate to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and for which the government is inviting feedback by August 5, 2019.
Ontario Health and Safety Regulations Amended
On June 10, 2019, the Ontario government filed a number of amendments to regulations made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. O. Reg. 186/19 replaces the “Equivalency” provision of Regulation 851 (Industrial Establishments) with a new provision entitled “Alternative methods and materials.” It now requires employers to provide written notice to the joint health…
Ontario Clarifies DB Funding Reforms under the Pension Benefits Act
On May 21, 2019, the Ontario government filed Regulation 105/19 amending Regulation 909 (General Regulation) under the Pension Benefits Act (PBA). The amendments mainly relate to clarifying elements of the defined benefit (DB) funding rules that took effect on May 1, 2018. Many of the new clarifications have been requested by the pension industry over…