Employers and human resource professionals will undoubtedly remember 2021 as another year shaped by the pandemic. But … there were also legal developments in 2021 that were not related to COVID-19. In this FTR Now, we look at some of the year’s notable “non-pandemic” cases and legislative developments of interest.
Industry: Universities
Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, Receives Royal Assent
On December 2, 2021, Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021, received Royal Assent. We reviewed Bill 27 in detail in our FTR Now of October 26, 2021, Ontario Proposes Significant Changes to ESA and Other Employment-Related Legislation, as well as our FTR Now of December 1, 2021, Ontario Passes Bill 27, Working for Workers…
Ontario Passes Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, As Amended at Committee
On November 30, 2021, the Ontario government passed Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021.
The Bill will amend a number of statutes, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997….
Federal Government Phasing Out COVID-19 Support Measures
On October 21, 2021, the federal government announced that two key pandemic programs, the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), would not be extended past October 23, 2021. It has proposed extending the Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP)—with narrowed criteria—to May 7, 2022. It also plans to introduce two new programs—The Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program and the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program—that would provide rent and wage subsidies, as well as lockdown support for a targeted set of businesses and organizations, until May 7, 2022, with the possibility of extension until July 2, 2022. The details of the two programs are set out in the Backgrounder, “Targeting COVID-19 Support Measures.”
Ontario Enhances Protections for Students Reporting Sexual Violence on Campus
As a new academic year commences, the Ontario government is taking additional steps to address sexual violence on post-secondary campuses. The government has filed O. Reg. 646/21 (Amending Regulation), which amends O. Reg. 131/16, Sexual Violence at Colleges and Universities, made under the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, to include additional protections for…
Vaccination Instructions for Colleges Issued by Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health
On August 30, 2021, the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health issued instructions (Instructions) to certain organizations in the post-secondary education sector regarding the implementation of a mandatory vaccine policy for employees, staff, contractors, volunteers and students. The Instructions recognize that some employees, staff, contractors, volunteers and students may remain unvaccinated. The Instructions have…
Ontario to Implement Mandatory Vaccination Policies for Hospitals, Schools, Post-Secondary Institutions, and More
On August 17, 2021, the Ontario government announced that it is making COVID-19 vaccination policies mandatory for certain high-risk settings, which include hospitals, schools and post-secondary institutions, among others. The government also announced: it is pausing the exit from Step 3 into the Roadmap Exit Step, in light of concerns regarding the transmission of COVID-19…
Ontario Moves to Step 3 of Reopening Plan
Effective July 16, 2021, all public health units in Ontario will be permitted to move to Step 3 of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen. This move comes ahead of schedule and is the result of improvements to key health indicators including decreasing COVID-19 case rates and high rates of vaccination. Once this occurs, all public…
Divisional Court Finds “Permanent Residence” Not a Protected Ground under Ontario Human Rights Code
In the recently released decision of Imperial Oil Limited v. Haseeb, a majority of the Divisional Court (Court) quashed a decision of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) which treated “permanent residence” as intrinsically included in the protected ground of “citizenship.” The majority held that such an expansion to the ground of “citizenship” was…
Ontario Seeking Input on Postsecondary Accessibility Standards under AODA
In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), new accessibility standards are developed through Standards Development Committees. The initial recommendations of the Postsecondary Education Standards Development Committee for the development of postsecondary accessibility standards under the AODA were published on June 25, 2021. The Committee is seeking input from the public…