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…

Important Updates Regarding the Federal Pay Equity Act, the Canada Labour Code and CLC Regulations

In this Federal Post, we cover recent developments with respect to the federal Pay Equity Act, amendments to the Canada Labour Code (CLC) and highlight the proposed amendments to the CLC Regulations that are currently open for public consultation. Federal Pay Equity Act In Force on August 31, 2021 By: Lucy Wu The federal Pay…

Ontario Moves to Step 2 of Reopening Plan

Effective June 30, 2021, all public health units in Ontario will be permitted to move to Step 2 of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen. Once this occurs, all public health units in the province will be subject to the conditions established by O. Reg. 263/20, Rules for Areas in Step 2, as amended by O….

Federal Government Designates September 30 as Public Holiday for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

On June 3, 2021, Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation), received Royal Assent. It officially designates September 30 of each year as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This marks a new public holiday under the Canada Labour Code (Code).

Ontario to Enter Step 1 of Reopening on June 11, 2021

The Ontario government has announced that effective June 11 at 12:01 a.m., all regions of the province will enter Step 1 of its Roadmap to Reopen as the COVID-19 cases slowly begin to drop and the vaccination rates increase.

Bonnie Roberts Jones

Bonnie Roberts Jones is counsel to Hicks Morley in its Toronto office. Having practised for 25 years, she provides advice on a wide range of civil and commercial matters including executive termination advocacy, shareholder disputes, directors’ liability, defamation and contractual disputes. Bonnie has significant class action experience, having acted on a number of these unique…

Mornelle Lee

Mornelle advises and represents employers on a wide range of employment issues including wrongful dismissal claims, employment standards, workplace safety and insurance, employment contracts, human rights and accommodation, harassment complaints, class actions and related court litigation.