Recreational Cannabis Update

On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government introduced Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018. If passed, Bill 36 will make significant amendments to the Cannabis Act, 2017, create the new Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and will amend various provincial legislation to adjust for the upcoming legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018.

New Cannabis Legislation Tabled by Ontario Government

On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government tabled Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018. If passed, Bill 36 will enact the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 and will make amendments to the Cannabis Act, 2017, the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation Act, 2017 and the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, as well as consequential amendments…

Early Effective Date Announced for New Federal Parental Sharing Benefit

The government has announced that the new federal Parental Sharing Benefit will launch on March 17, 2019. As we previously reported, the 2018 federal Budget (Budget) proposed to establish an additional Parental Sharing Benefit with the goal of encouraging parents to share Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The intended goal of this reform was to allow…

Cannabis in the Workplace: Workplace Policy [Video]

In light of the upcoming legalization of recreational cannabis, it is critical that employers review all current policies to determine whether revisions are required. In this video, Jacqueline Luksha reviews key features of a Drug and Alcohol policy related to cannabis in the workplace. She also discusses the importance of training regarding cannabis use, and touches on policies dealing with accommodation requests.

Setting up Shop in Canada? What U.S. Employers Need to Know About Canadian Labour Law – Part 2 [Video]

In this series, David Bannon walks through some key differences in labo(u)r law that U.S. employers should know when buying, selling or operating a business in Canada. In this installment, David discusses employer’s ability to communicate with employees during organizing and bargaining, the lack of “Right to work” jurisdictions in Canada, the timing of legal strikes and constitutional protections for labour processes. In the previous installment, David discussed the governing regimes for labour relations, the timing of the union certification process and an employer’s duty to disclose certain information to a train union.

Setting up Shop in Canada? What U.S. Employers Need to Know About Canadian Labour Law – Part 1 [Video]

In this series, David Bannon walks through some key differences in labo(u)r law that U.S. employers should know when buying, selling or operating a business in Canada. In this instalment, David discusses the governing regimes for labour relations in Canada, the timing of the union certification process and an employer’s duty to disclose certain information to a trade union.

The First Bill 148 Cases: Overview of Key New ESA Decisions

It has now been 7 months since Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, was enacted and cases are beginning to emerge which interpret the new provisions of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). In this Minimum Standards Monitor, we review some decisions of particular interest to employers which involve the new personal emergency leave (PEL) requirements, the equal pay for equal work provisions and the new minimum wage entitlements.

2018 Federal Budget Bill Passes

On June 21, 2018, Bill C-74, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1, received Royal Assent. Bill C-74 is omnibus legislation enacting some of the measures outlined in the 2018 Federal Budget. Among other things,  it includes amendments to the following: Employment Insurance Act, to permanently implement the Working While on Claim pilot project; Canada…