On March 1, 2022, new requirements will come into force that require universities and colleges to ensure that their sexual violence policies prevent discipline against a student who is found to have violated the institution’s drug and alcohol policies when such a violation is disclosed in the course of good faith efforts to report sexual…
Practice Area: Occupational Health
Ontario to Ease Capacity Limits and Lift Proof of Vaccination Requirements
With the key public health indicators improving and the Omicron variant beginning to retreat, the Ontario government has announced that public health measures imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19 will be eased, effective February 17 and March 1, 2022. The province has announced that it intends to lift proof of vaccination requirements and all…
Arbitrator Finds Mandatory Vaccination Policy Implemented by Energy Sector Employer to be Reasonable
In Power Workers’ Union v Elexicon Energy Inc., Arbitrator Michael Mitchell recently held that a mandatory vaccination policy implemented by Elexicon Energy Inc. (Employer) was reasonable for all employees, except for those who had been working exclusively from home and had no expectation or requirement of returning to the workplace in the near future, and…
Arbitrator Finds Part of LTC Homes’ Mandatory Vaccination Policy Violated Collective Agreement
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…
Details Regarding Ontario’s Move to Amended Step 3 of Roadmap to Reopen
Effective January 31, 2022, all public health units in Ontario will move to the Rules for Areas at Step 3 (Step 3 Rules) of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen plan. The Step 3 Rules are set out in O. Reg. 364/20, made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, as amended…
Ontario to Ease Public Health Measures on January 31, 2022
On January 20, 2022, the Ontario government announced a gradual easing of public health measures, beginning on January 31, 2022. Effective on that date, the new measures will include: social gathering limits increased to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. capacity limits increased to (or maintained at) 50% in indoor public settings, including restaurants,…
Further Details Regarding Ontario’s Move to Modified Step 2 of Roadmap to Reopen
As we previously reported, effective January 5, 2022, all public health units in Ontario have been temporarily moved to modified Rules for Areas in Step 2 of the province’s Roadmap to Reopen. These changes will remain in effect until at least January 26, 2022, subject to “trends in public health and health system indicators.” As a result, all public health units in the province are now subject to the conditions established by O. Reg. 263/20, Rules for Areas in Step 2, as amended by O. Reg. 2/22.
Ontario Moves to Modified Step 2 due to Surge in COVID-19 Cases
On January 3, 2022, the Ontario government announced that in light of the surge in COVID-19 cases, the province will be moving to modified Rules for Areas in Stage 2 of its Roadmap to Reopen plan. These changes will come into effect on January 5, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. and will remain in effect until…
Beyond COVID-19: 2021 Year in Review – Cases and Legislation of Note
Employers and human resource professionals will undoubtedly remember 2021 as another year shaped by the pandemic. But … there were also legal developments in 2021 that were not related to COVID-19. In this FTR Now, we look at some of the year’s notable “non-pandemic” cases and legislative developments of interest.
Ontario Announces Further Capacity Limit Reductions in Light of Omicron
On December 17, 2021, the Ontario government announced it is taking further public heath measures in light of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. The new measures significantly expand upon the December 15 announcement reducing capacity limits to 50% in certain settings with a usual capacity of 1000 or more. Effective December 19, 2021, the following…