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Enjoying a Safe Holiday Party in COVID Times   

· 8 min read

The holiday season is a time for people to come together and celebrate. As COVID-19 circumstances evolve, many employers are intending to return to in-person workplace celebrations for the first time since December 2019. All employers, regardless of size, should ensure that in addition to traditional party logistics, they take the time to develop a…

Case In Point

In a “bottom line” decision in Extendicare Lynde Creek Retirement Home and United Food & Commercial Workers Canada, Local 175, Arbitrator Raymond upheld the mandatory COVID-19 Immunization Policy (Policy) of a retirement home, finding that the Policy is a reasonable workplace rule and consistent with the collective agreement, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the…

HR HealthCheck

On February 7, 2022, Arbitrator Misra issued her decision in Chartwell Housing REIT (The Westmount, The Wynfield, The Woodhaven And The Waterford) and Healthcare, Office And Professional Employees Union, Local 2220 in which she found that the termination consequences of a long-term care home employer’s mandatory vaccination policy violated the collective agreement. Background In late…

HR HealthCheck

On October 28, 2021, the Ontario government announced a substantial overhaul of the long-term care sector in Ontario, following on the report of the Long-Term Care Commission. On the same date, the government tabled Bill 37, Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021. If passed, Bill 37 would repeal the current…

Human Resources Legislative Update

On October 28, 2021, the Ontario government announced a substantial overhaul of the long-term care sector in Ontario, following on the report of the Long-Term Care Commission. On the same date, the government tabled Bill 37, Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021. If passed, Bill 37 would repeal the current…

Human Resources Legislative Update

On April 30, 2021, Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission submitted its Final Report to the Minister of Long-Term Care. The Commission was created by the Ontario government in July 2020 in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the long-term care sector. Specifically, the Commission was asked “to investigate the cause of the…

Human Resources Legislative Update

The Ontario government has announced that the temporary wage enhancement for personal support workers and direct support workers in publicly funded home and community care, long-term care, public hospitals, and social services sectors will be extended until June 30, 2021. At that time, the wage enhancement will again be reviewed by the government. The temporary…

HR HealthCheck

In this HR HealthCheck, we discuss two recently released arbitral decisions involving retirement and long-term care home providers whose responses to the COVID-19 pandemic were challenged by their unions. The first case deals with a mandatory testing policy. The second case considers an employer’s right to cancel an employee’s leave of absence in order to…

HR HealthCheck

On April 14, 2020, the Ontario government issued an Emergency Order (Order) pursuant to the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) which relates specifically to staffing issues in Ontario’s long-term care sector. The Order, O. Reg. 146/20, Limiting Work to a Single Long-Term Care Home, creates immediate obligations for both long-term care employers and employees working in long-term care homes. Once the requirements of the Order are met, the Order will effectively impose a “single-employer” rule for employees in this sector, preventing them from working for more than one Health Service Provider or retirement home until the Order is lifted.

FTR Now

On Monday, March 23, 2020, the Ontario government issued an Emergency Order granting Ontario Health Service Providers broad authority to take all reasonable steps necessary to staff as needed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has now taken two significant steps to grant similar authority to Long-Term Care home providers and Municipal Homes for the Aged to address the staffing issues which may arise due to the emerging pandemic.