On April 5, 2016, Bill 163, Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), 2016, passed Third Reading as amended by the Standing Committee on Social Policy. As previously reported, Bill 163 amends the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 to create a rebuttable statutory presumption in favour of granting workers’ compensation benefits to certain…
Insights
Hicks Morley publishes a number of materials, both electronic and print, on issue-specific and sector-specific topics of interest to our clients. Our insights section has links to all of our various publications, updates and blogs, both current and historical, to keep you informed of developments in the law that impact human resources.
Case In Point
Federal Privacy Commissioner Weighs In Against Sharing Details of Employee Discipline
In a recently released decision summary, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) held that a bank acted properly in deciding not to tell the victim of unauthorized access precisely how it had punished its offending employee (Employee). The victim, the complainant in this case, was a neighbour of the Employee who happened…
Human Resources Legislative Update
Federal Government Consults on PIPEDA Data Breach Regulations
On March 4, 2016, the federal government posted Data Breach Notification and Reporting Regulations (Regulations) for public discussion. Amendments to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) enacted by the Digital Privacy Act (Bill S-4) will, upon proclamation, require private sector organizations to notify the public in circumstances where security safeguards involving their…
Case In Point
$30,000 in Damages Awarded against Volunteer Board of Directors for Discriminatory Posters in Housing Co-operative
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) recently awarded $30,000.00 in damages against the volunteer members of the Board of Directors of Rouge Valley Co-operative Homes Inc.
Case In Point
BC Court Dismisses CFL Concussion Case for Lack of Jurisdiction
In a recent decision that has garnered media attention, the Supreme Court of British Columbia concluded it was without jurisdiction to hear claims brought against the Canadian Football League (CFL), its teams and various individuals relating to concussions alleged to have occurred to a former professional football player…
School Board Update
In Camera Deliberations of Teacher Dismissal can be Subject of Testimony, Supreme Court of Canada Rules
On March 18, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada issued Commission scolaire de Laval v. Syndicat de l’enseignement de la région de Laval (“Laval”), a significant decision on whether a union can subpoena members of a school board’s executive committee to testify about their in camera deliberations regarding a teacher’s dismissal…
FTR Now
Federal Budget 2016
On March 22, 2016, the federal government tabled its 2016 Budget, Growing the Middle Class (Budget). While certain key legislative initiatives are already underway in respect of reforms to the federal labour regime…
Human Resources Legislative Update
CAPSA Consults on Revised Pension Plan Governance Guideline
On March 11, 2016, the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities (CAPSA) released draft revisions to CAPSA Guideline No. 4: Pension Plan Governance and the related Self-Assessment Questionnaire and FAQ Document for consultation.
Human Resources Legislative Update
Ontario Minimum Wage to Increase October 1, 2016
On October 1, 2016, the general minimum wage in Ontario will increase from $11.25 to $11.40 an hour. This minimum wage applies to most employees. Minimum wage rates for specified students, liquor servers, hunting and fishing guides and homeworkers will increase on the same date.
Case In Point
Appellate Court Finds Restrictive Covenant Not Enforceable Where Party Had No Legitimate/Proprietary Interest to Protect in Territory
The Ontario Court of Appeal recently found that a restrictive covenant was unreasonable because the respondent, who sought to enforce the covenant, did not have a legitimate or proprietary interest to protect within the territorial scope of the covenant. In MEDIchair LP v. DME Medequip Inc., the Court was asked to decide whether the application judge had erred in finding that the restrictive covenant (provided in the course of a sale of business) was reasonable in scope, having regard to the legitimate or proprietary interest of the respondent.