Recently approved pension changes to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System may increase employer pension costs and have impacts on workforce management. The OMERS Sponsors Corporation recently completed a Comprehensive Plan Review, which involved consideration of several proposed changes to the plan design and benefits.
Industry: Education
Bill 57 Referred to Committee – Note Short Deadline for Making Submissions
On November 28, 2018, Bill 57, the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018, was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs (Committee). The Committee will meet on Monday December 3, 2018 for public hearings on the Bill. Any request to appear before the Committee must be submitted to the Clerk of…
That’s a Wrap – Final School Board Update of 2018
In this School Board Update, we review two recent decisions which will be of interest to school boards. The first is an arbitration decision which considers the Ontario teacher performance assessment (TPA) process in a case where the termination of a teacher’s employment was upheld. The second is a decision of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario which concluded that a school board was not in violation of the Human Rights Code when it did not provide Applied Behavioural Analysis / Intensive Behavioural Intervention to a young student.
New Regulations Filed Under Labour Relations Act, 1995 – Arbitration Awards to be Made Publicly Available
On November 21, 2018, the Ontario government filed two regulations made under the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA). The first regulation is made further to the repeal by Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 of certain provisions of the LRA, previously enacted by Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 (Bill…
Federal Government Issues Fall Economic Statement
On November 21, 2018, the federal government issued its Fall Economic Statement 2018, “Investing in Middle Class Jobs” (Statement). Among other things, the Statement: reiterates the Budget 2018 commitment of an evidence-based approach towards addressing retirement security and announces that targeted consultations will soon be launched as the government continues to explore ways to enhance…
Legislation Reversing Parts of Bill 148 Passes
On November 21, 2018, Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018, as amended by the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, passed Third Reading…
The Law Regarding Service Animals [Video]
Failing to accommodate guide dogs or service animals is potentially a failure to accommodate a disability. There may also be competing rights or obligations to consider when such situations arise in your organization. In this video, Elizabeth Winter takes us through the law regarding service animals – an important area of human rights law – with a focus on best practices for identifying a service animal and your organization’s responsibility to accommodate staff and clients.
The Outlook is More Change: Ontario Proposes Significant Reforms to Pension and Employment-Related Statutes
The Ontario government’s Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review (Fiscal Review) and supporting omnibus legislation, Bill 57, the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 (Bill 57), propose a number of significant reforms and initiatives to pension, benefit, tax and employment-related legislation that will impact your workplace and pension plan administration. Bill 57 also contains proposals related specifically to fire services, which were outlined in our prior communication, Ontario Government Tables Legislation Impacting Bargaining and Interest Arbitration in the Fire Sector.
FTR Quarterly – Issue 11
In This Issue Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans Recreational Cannabis and Your Workplace: Five Steps to Consider Featured Topic – Cannabis Expertise Featured Articles Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans By: Natasha D. Monkman With the legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018, employers across Canada have been preparing to answer questions about whether…
’Tis the Season: Holiday Tips for Employers
With the holiday season just around the corner, many of us are preparing for the seasonal festivities, which may include workplace celebrations. It is important that employers, whether large or small, take proactive steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees who attend office parties or other workplace celebrations.