On November 20, 2014, Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014 (“Bill 18”) received Royal Assent, as amended by the Standing Committee on General Government. Among other matters, effective February 20, 2015 (i.e. three months after Royal Assent): the $10,000 cap on orders to pay wages under s. 103(4) of the…
Practice Area: Employment Law
Holiday Cheer: A Checklist For Employers
The holiday season is around the corner – and with it comes festivities and celebrations. Whether these seasonal events are large or small, employee health and safety remains a key priority for employers. In this FTR Now, we provide employers with a checklist of measures to consider implementing in planning for a safe holiday celebration….
Reaching Out – Seventh Edition
Dear Friends, Welcome to the Fall Edition of Reaching Out. As we fall back an hour, we want to make sure that you do not feel like you are “falling back” in terms of current issues in labour and employment law that may affect your workplaces. In that regard, we have a full docket of…
Omnibus Workplace Laws Bill Amended at Committee Stage (Bill 18)
On November 4, 2014, Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014 (“Bill 18”) was reported back to the Legislature as amended by the Standing Committee on General Government, and has been ordered for Third Reading. Among other things, the Committee’s amendments will accelerate the coming into force of key amendments, including the following…
Amendments to Federal Health and Safety Regime in Force October 31, 2014
Important amendments to the health and safety regime in Part II of the Canada Labour Code (the “Code“), contained in the Economic Action Plan 2013 Act No. 2 (the “Act“), come into force on October 31, 2014. Among other things, the Act will amend the definition of danger which is central to the right of…
Federal Government Proposes Amendments to Temporary Foreign Worker Program
On October 23, 2014, the federal government introduced Bill C-43, Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 2, omnibus legislation intended to further implement measures first announced in its Budget 2014, Economic Action Plan 2014. Among other matters, Division 24 of Part 4 of Bill C-43 would amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (“Act”) to support a…
New Employment Standards Leaves of Absence Coming Into Effect October 29, 2014
Effective October 29, 2014, three new job-protected leaves of absence will be added to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 – family caregiver leave, critically ill child care leave and crime-related child death or disappearance leave. The new leaves are in addition to existing leaves of absence available to employees under the Act, and can be…
Court of Appeal Dismisses Overtime Eligibility Class Action Certification Appeal
On October 6, 2014, the Court of Appeal for Ontario unanimously dismissed an appeal from the Ontario Divisional Court’s decision[1] dated April 23, 2013 which in turn dismissed an appeal from a decision dated April 27, 2012, dismissing a motion for certification of a claim regarding eligibility for overtime pay as a class action.[2] The…
Municipal Elections 2014: Employers’ Obligation to Provide Paid Time Off to Vote
Province-wide municipal elections will be held on October 27, 2014, 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…
Another Reminder to Employers: Draft Termination Notice Provisions with Care
The Ontario Superior Court has reaffirmed that if a termination provision in an employment contract does not strictly comply with the requirements of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”), it will be considered null and void. In Miller v. A.B.M. Canada Inc., the plaintiff, Mr. Miller, was a management accountant. He was hired into the position…