On February 26, 2021, the Ontario government made minor revisions to its “COVID-19 Screening Tool for Businesses and Organizations (Screening Workers).” The screening questions now ask if the person using the tool is experiencing “one or more” of the listed symptoms (previously, it was “any one” of the listed symptoms). More significantly, the screening questions…
Practice Area: Employment Law
Ministry of Education Releases New “School Board Teacher Hiring Practices” PPM
On February 22, 2021, the Ontario Ministry of Education (Ministry) released the much anticipated Policy/Program Memorandum No. 165 (PPM 165) regarding “School Board Teacher Hiring Practices.” PPM 165 comes in response to the revocation of Ontario Regulation 274/12 “Hiring Practices” and will replace the Interim policy for school board hiring practices. The PPM is effective…
Successfully represented a national client in a 2-day trial at the Alberta Provincial Court, defending a termination for cause of an employee in a safety-sensitive role.
Successfully represented a national client in a 2-day trial at the Alberta Provincial Court, defending a termination for cause of an employee in a safety-sensitive role.
Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association (OMHRA) Virtual Symposium on Negotiation Strategies: Dealing with Picket Lines and Picket Injunctions
Overview Dealing with Picket Lines and Picket Injunctions — 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Presentation by: John W. Saunders and Lucy Wu For more information on this event and to register, please visit the OMHRA website.
Federal Government Publishes Proposed Accessible Canada Regulations and Invites Public Input
On February 13, 2021, the federal government issued a notice regarding the proposed Accessible Canada Regulations (Proposed Regulations), which establish a proposed framework to promote compliance with accessibility requirements under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA). The Proposed Regulations would apply to entities under federal jurisdiction. In this Federal Post, we provide an overview of the…
Family Status Accommodation Requests
Register Fee: $175.00 plus $22.75 (13% HST) Total $197.75 per person Overview Requests for family status accommodation have become increasingly common in recent years, and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these types of requests are only expected to increase. Whether an employee requests accommodation due to the need to supervise their child during…
Ontario Publishes Further Update to its Screening Tool for Workers
On February 10, 2021, the Ontario government updated its “COVID-19 Screening Tool for Businesses and Organizations (Screening Workers)” (Tool). The update clarifies that the Tool applies to all regions in Ontario (Rules for Areas in Stages 1, 2 and 3) and that employers must ensure that workers are screened before they go to work or…
Mental Health in the Workplace – Employers’ Duties and Obligations – Presented by CanadianLawyer
Overview Mental wellbeing in the workforce has been one of the greatest continual challenges for employers across Canada and is especially difficult in this current uncertain environment. Employers must ensure they are up to date on their legal obligations and are following best practices to minimize their risk. What are the critical mental health issues…
Public Input Regarding Exemptions From The Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 Requested
On February 10, 2021, the Ontario government published a consultation paper seeking stakeholder input regarding possible changes to the exemptions from the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 (Act). Because the information disclosed as a result of police record checks is often used to assist in determining suitability for employment, employers may wish to offer their…
Ontario’s Regional Approach to Pandemic Management: Amendments to the Yellow, Orange, Red and Grey Zones
The Ontario government is continuing its recently announced return to a regional approach to pandemic management and to a modified provincial COVID-19: Response Framework. The first phase, discussed in greater detail in our February 10, 2021 FTR Now, involved the creation of a new Shutdown Zone as part of the Rules for Areas in Stage…