734 Results

New ESA Regulations Exempt Crown Employees from Hours of Work/Overtime Provisions of ESA; Reduce Penalties for Notices of Contravention

On October 24, 2018, the Ontario government filed two regulations made under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). O. Reg. 448/18 amends O. Reg. 285/01 (When Work Deemed to be Performed, Exemptions and Special Rules) to exempt Crown employees from the hours of work/eating periods and overtime provisions of the ESA. Specifically, the exemption applies…

End of the Bill 148 Era: Ontario Bill to Reverse Employment and Labour Reforms

On October 23, 2018, the Ontario government introduced Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 (Bill 47), new legislation that if passed in its present form would effectively “undo” many of the key changes to workplace laws implemented by Bill 148. The range of changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA)…

Ontario Introduces Legislation to Reverse Key Bill 148 Employment and Labour Reforms

On October 23, 2018, the Ontario government announced that it will be introducing proposed legislation today to repeal many of the significant employment and labour law reforms enacted by Bill 148 – including provisions with respect to equal pay, paid personal emergency (PEL) days, scheduling, card-based certification for certain industries and eliminating the requirement that employers provide unions with contact information for employees where they demonstrate that they have 20% support. Learn more in this FTR Now.

Reminder: Mandatory Data Breach Notification in Force on November 1, 2018

As we previously reported, as of November 1, 2018, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) will require notification to affected individuals and the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) when a security incident involving personal information results in a “real risk of significant harm.” The supporting regulations published March 27, 2018…

Reduction of WSIB Premium Rates for Employers Announced

On September 26, 2018, the Ontario government and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced that WSIB premium rates for employers will be reduced by almost 30 percent, starting January 1, 2019. The announcement states the reduction is due to the elimination of the unfunded liability of the WSIB’s Insurance Fund. The unfunded liability…

Lauri Reesor Quoted in Canadian Lawyer InHouse on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Hicks Morley’s Lauri Reesor was quoted in the September 2018 edition of Canadian Lawyer InHouse in an article titled, “Navigating Sexual Harassment in a #MeToo World.” With the initiation of the #MeToo movement, allegations of sexual harassment are being brought forth exposing high-profile individuals at an unprecedented rate. Lauri notes that she is “seeing an increase in the number of internal complaints that are being made” involving corporations. “People are feeling empowered to come forward.” This opens an organization’s policies, procedures and investigative techniques to scrutiny.

Julia Nanos Quoted in Canadian Lawyer Magazine on the Effect New Pay and Scheduling Laws Have on Retailers and Restaurants

Canadian Lawyer Magazine quoted Hicks Morley’s Julia Nanos in a July 3, 2018 article titled “Retailers squeezed by new rules.” The article discusses how some of the new laws implemented in Ontario, such as calculations for holiday pay and equal pay for equal work are affecting restaurants and retailers.

WSIB Rate Framework Policies Finalized

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has finalized the following core policies which will support the new Rate Framework, to be implemented on January 1, 2020: Coverage Status The Classification Structure Single or Multiple Premium Rates Associated Employers Employer Level Premium Rate Setting Employer Premium Adjustment As previously reported, the WSIB held public consultations…

OMHRA Summer ECHO Newsletter Features Two Articles by Jessica Toldo

The Summer 2018 issue of OMHRA’s ECHO newsletter features two articles authored by Hicks Morley lawyer Jessica Toldo. In the article “Landmark Decision Finds FIPPA’s Delay / Block of Public Access to Adjudicative Records of Administrative Tribunals Unconstitutional,” Jessica discusses the Toronto Star v AG Ontario case where a landmark decision prompted by the Toronto Star, the Superior Court of Justice found…