On April 23, 2015, the Ontario Minister of Finance tabled the 2015 provincial Budget, “Building Ontario Up” (“Budget”), and Bill 91, Building Ontario Up Act (Budget Measures), 2015 (“Bill 91”), omnibus legislation designed to implement some of the proposals contained in the Budget. In this FTR Now, we highlight some of the key proposals that…
Practice Area: Employment Law
2015 Ontario and Federal Budgets Released
On April 23, 2015, the Ontario government tabled the 2015 provincial Budget, “Building Ontario Up” (“Budget”) and Bill 91, Building Ontario Up Act (Budget Measures), 2015 (“Bill 91”), supporting omnibus legislation designed to implement some of the proposals contained in the Budget. We are in the process of reviewing the Budget and Bill 91, and…
Federal Budget 2015
On April 21, 2015, the Minister of Finance tabled the 2015 Federal Budget, “Strong Leadership: A Balanced-Budget, Low-Tax Plan for Jobs, Growth and Security.” This FTR Now focuses on some of the key proposals that are of particular interest to employers, human resources professionals and pension plan administrators. These include: changes to registered retirement income…
Ontario Minimum Wage Increasing to $11.25 on October 1, 2015
On March 19, 2015, the Ontario government announced that the general minimum wage will increase from $11 to $11.25 per hour, effective October 1, 2015. A list of the new minimum wage rates for students, liquor servers, hunting and fishing guides and homeworkers is available on the Ministry of Labour’s website. Background information on the…
New Holiday Pay Provisions Now in Effect
As we reported in our January 2015 FTR Now, significant reforms to the general holiday pay provisions of Part III of the Canada Labour Code come into force effective March 16, 2015. Federally regulated employers are reminded that the amendments include the introduction of a new “holiday pay” formula and the elimination of certain qualifying requirements….
Ontario to Consult on Labour and Employment Reform
On February 17, 2015, the Ontario government announced the launch of public consultations to consider reforms to the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (“LRA”) and the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) in light of the “changing nature of the modern workplace.” In this FTR Now, we highlight key issues that will be under review, and how…
Ontario Publishes Review of AODA and Recommendations
On February 13, 2015, the Ontario government published a report on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”) by Mayo Moran, Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Trinity College at the University of Toronto. The report constitutes the second legislative review of the AODA, and outlines her recommendations to the government, which include: renewal of…
Ontario to Launch Public Consultations on Labour and Employment Legislation
On February 17, 2015, the Ontario government announced the launch of public consultations on the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and Employment Standards Act, 2000. The consultations will include an examination of the following workplace issues: non-standard working relationships, including temporary jobs, part-time work, and self-employment; the service sector; globalization and trade liberalization; technological change; and…
City Did Not Breach Duty to Accommodate When it Declined Firefighters’ Request for Exception to Mandatory Retirement Policy
In a recent decision, Corrigan v. Corporation of the City of Mississauga [1], the Divisional Court dismissed an application for judicial review of a decision of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (the “Tribunal”), which found that the City of Mississauga did not breach its procedural duty to accommodate when it declined to accommodate suppression…
Federal Court of Appeal Breaks the Tie: Without Cause Dismissals Permitted Under Canada Labour Code
The Federal Court of Appeal has acted as a “tie-breaker” on a “nagging legal point” as to whether Part III of the Canada Labour Code (“Code”) permits dismissals on a without cause basis. In Wilson v. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, the Court unanimously held that it does, bringing welcome clarity to an area of…