Divisional Court Confirms Concurrent Jurisdiction Model Applies to Human Rights Disputes in Unionized Workplaces

The Divisional Court has confirmed that Ontario labour arbitrators share concurrent jurisdiction with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) over human rights disputes that arise in a unionized workplace.   As reported in our FTR Now of October 6, 2022, in Weilgosh v. London District Catholic School Board, the Tribunal determined it shared jurisdiction with…

Key Legal Issues on “Safe Sport” in Canada: Latest Developments on Policy and the Law

Executive Summary Creating and protecting a respectful sport culture is an important priority for governments and public policy-makers in Canada and, increasingly, it is an important legal issue for employers and organizations in the sector as well. A review of any number of recent news articles makes this point clear. This year, the federal government…

New Federal Online Harms Bill: Possible Implications for Federal Employers

The federal government tabled Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63) on February 26, 2024. Bill C-63 aims to curb online harms, especially to children, by targeting the spread of harmful content on social media. If passed, key features would include the establishment of the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, the introduction of an…

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Awards Applicant $180,000 as Compensation for Injury to Dignity, Feelings and Self-Respect

In the recent decision of L.N. v. Ray Daniel Salon & Spa, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) awarded an applicant $180,000 in damages for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect. In this case, the applicant was a recently arrived refugee to Canada. She had not yet received her work permit when she started…

Federal Government Launches Employment Equity Tool on Workforce Data

On February 2, 2024, the federal government launched a new website, Equi’Vision. It is an employment equity tool which the government states provides “user-friendly, easily comparable data on workforce representation rates and the pay gaps” experienced by women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities. These groups are the designated groups under…

Workplace Investigation Training Workshop

This session focuses on investigation fundamentals. Attendees will learn the key takeaways from case law and best practices for investigating workplace incidents. The morning portion of the session will include instructional components, video demonstrations and a discussion regarding strategies to deal with issues that can arise when conducting investigations. In the afternoon we will go over a brief overview of workplace investigation best practices and summarize what we have learned.