On August 26, 2022, Arbitrator Derek Rogers released Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, I.A.A.F. Local 3888 and City of Toronto in which he considered the reasonableness of the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy (Policy) of the City of Toronto (City). The Arbitrator found that the Policy itself was, and remains, reasonable. However, he found that the…
Industry: Municipalities & Municipal Agencies
Municipalities Take Note: Ontario Introduces Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022
On August 10, 2022, the Ontario government introduced Bill 3, Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022 (Bill 3) for first reading. If passed, Bill 3 would amend the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the Municipal Act, 2001 to provide new powers to the mayor of the City of Toronto and mayors of other “designated…
Ministry Updates ESA Guide on Electronic Monitoring Policies
On July 13, 2022, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (Ministry) updated its online guide to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Guide) to include a chapter on written policy on electronic monitoring of employees. The chapter provides guidance on recent Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) amendments that require employers with 25 or…
Employers Take Note: Changes to the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave
Employers should be aware of imminent changes to an employee’s entitlements to the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (IDEL), made under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 21, 2022, the Ontario government announced that it is extending entitlement to the three days of paid IDEL (Paid IDEL) for…
Modernizing Canada’s Privacy Laws: What Employers Need to Know About Bill C-27
On June 16, 2022, the federal government introduced Bill C-27, Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022. If passed, Bill C-27 would repeal Part 1 of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and replace it with the new Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA). It would enact the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act…
Employers Take Note: Certain Employees Entitled to Paid Time Off to Cast Vote in Provincial Election
The Ontario provincial election will be held on June 2, 2022. Under the Ontario Election Act (Act), eligible employees are entitled to three consecutive hours during voting hours to cast their vote. In some circumstances, this may require employers to provide certain employees with paid time off to vote. For most of the province, voting…
Federal Budget Bill Proposes Amendments to 10 Days’ Paid Medical Leave of Absence under Canada Labour Code
On April 28, 2022, the federal government tabled Bill C-19, Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1, giving effect to the initiatives found in its April 7, 2022 budget, A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable. This Federal Post focuses on the Bill C-19 amendments to the new paid medical leave of…
Ontario to Maintain Masking and Certain Other COVID-19 Measures Until June 11, 2022
On April 22, 2022, the Ontario government announced that the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (OCMOH) will be maintaining existing masking requirements in select higher-risk indoor settings, as well as all remaining directives issued by the OCMOH in response to COVID-19, until June 11, 2022. This marks a change from the government’s…
Remaining COVID-19 Orders to be Revoked
The Ontario government has filed a regulation which will revoke all remaining COVID-19 regulations (Orders) made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, effective April 27, 2022. This action is further to the government’s previous announcement of its intention to lift all remaining COVID-19 measures, directives and Orders by this date….
Ontario Introduces Firefighter Certification Standards
On April 14, 2022, the Ontario government filed O. Reg. 343/22: Firefighter Certification, under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997. The regulation comes into force on July 1, 2022. The regulation sets out the mandatory minimum certification standards and corresponding job performance requirements of firefighters delivering specific fire protection services, together with a compliance…