Municipal Elections 2010: Employers’ Obligation to Provide Paid Time Off to Vote

Province-wide municipal elections will be held on October 25, 2010, and voting hours will run from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, all employees who are eligible to vote in the election are entitled to three consecutive hours during voting hours on election day to cast their vote. To be…

Government Institutions Should Take Note of a Recent Supreme Court of Canada Case on Access to Government Information

On June 17th, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a significant judgement on access to government information. In Ontario (Public Safety and Security) v. Criminal Lawyers’ Association, 2010 SCC 23 (CanLII) (the “CLA” case), it held that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the “Charter“) gives the public a limited right of access to…

Hicks Morley Introduces Legislative Update Blog

Hicks Morley is pleased to announce the launch of Human Resources Legislative Update, a blog designed to provide human resources professionals with timely information about developments in a range of employment-related areas. In this FTR Now, we highlight the features of this new service. To access the blog click here. BACKGROUND Since 1997, Hicks Morley…

New Rules of Civil Procedure

Effective January 1, 2010, the Rules of Civil Procedure governing all civil litigation matters brought in the Superior Court of Ontario will come into force. This FTR Now highlights some of the key changes that will impact the manner in which employment-related actions are litigated, including wrongful dismissal claims, constructive dismissal claims, and claims for…

Ban on Hand-Held Devices And Display Screens Starts In October

In our FTR Now of September 24, 2009, “Cell Phone and Blackberry Restrictions For Drivers Are Coming Into Force: Is Your Workplace Ready?,” we provided you with a detailed overview of the new legislation restricting the use of hand-held mobile technology devices and presence of display screens while driving. Yesterday, the Ontario Government announced that…

Defining “Employer” For Pension Funding Purposes

The Financial Services Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) recently released a decision that discusses, in detail, who is the employer for funding purposes under the Pension Benefits Act (“PBA”). This decision will be of interest to employers who participate in pension plans with more than one employer, but are not multi-employer pension plans or “MEPPs”, if the…

School Board Update

IN THIS ISSUE EFTO Bargaining Support Paid Religious Leave Management’s Rights Job Qualifications of Teachers Union Dues Trustee Conflict of Interest Damages for Maximum Class Size Violations Access to Adverse Reports Workers’ Compensation Claims and the Human Rights Code ETFO BARGAINING SUPPORT Public district school boards have less than a month in which to reach…