Dear Friends, With summer heating up, burning human resources issues continue to smolder as well. At Hicks Morley, we hope that you are enjoying the summer sunshine and we welcome you to the Summer 2014 Edition of Reaching Out, designed to address a number of relevant practical issues of particular interest and application to management…
Practice Area: Human Rights
Ontario Human Rights Commission Releases New Policy on Mental Disabilities and Addictions
One of the most significant challenges facing employers today involves identifying, managing and accommodating mental health and addiction issues in the workplace. In June 2014, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (“the Commission”) issued a new policy dealing with this issue. The new policy, entitled Policy on preventing discrimination based on mental health disabilities and addictions,…
The Ontario Bar Association Publishes an Article by Jacqueline Luksha
The Ontario Bar Association published an article authored by Hicks Morley’s Jacqueline Luksha in their May 28, 2014 edition entitled, “The Duty to Investigate Workplace Complaints Under the Ontario Human Rights Code…Is hind-sight really 20/20?” In the article, Jacqueline discusses lessons learned from Scaduto v. Insurance Search Bureau, including the importance of employers carrying out…
Court of Appeal Reduces $1.45 Million Award to Constructively Dismissed Employee
The Court of Appeal for Ontario has released its decision in Boucher v. Wal-Mart Canada Corp. This case made headlines in 2012 after a jury trial awarded more than $1.45 million in compensatory, mental suffering, aggravated and punitive damages to Meredith Boucher for her claim that she was constructively dismissed as a result of the…
Andrew Zabrovsky Quoted in the National Post
Hicks Morley’s Andrew Zabrovsky was quoted in the National Post on Thursday, May 8, 2014 in an article entitled, “Employers need to be more flexible when work schedules conflict with childcare arrangements, court rules“. The article discusses the Federal Court of Appeal’s ruling to uphold its decision in Canada (Attorney General) v. Johnstone regarding an employer’s…
Andrew Zabrovsky Discusses Family Status Protections on Global News
Hicks Morley’s Andrew Zabrovsky has was interviewed by Global News on Thursday, May 8, 2014 on workplace accommodations in light of the Federal Court of Appeal’s recent ruling to uphold its Canada (Attorney General) v. Johnstone decision. In Global News‘ video and accompanying article entitled “Court says employers must try to accommodate parents child-care obligations”…
Hicks Morley featured in Benefits and Pensions Monitor
On May 7, 2014, Benefits and Pensions Montior cited Hicks Morley’s recent FTR Now entitled “Federal Court of Appeal Upholds Johnstone, Clarifies Nature and Scope of Family Status Protections” which reviewed the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold an employer’s obligation to provide workplace accommodation for an employee’s childcare needs in Canada (Attorney General)…
Employer Permitted to Define “Spouse” under Benefit Plan to Exclude Married but Separated Spouses
In a recent decision of the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal (“Tribunal”) in VanderLinde v. Oshawa (City) (“VanderLinde”), the Tribunal found that it is not discriminatory for an employer to require that an employee’s legally married spouse be living with the employee as a condition of eligibility as a spouse under its group benefit plan. In…
Reaching Out – Fifth Edition
Dear Friends, Well, the verdict is in. Six more weeks of winter according to our furry rodent weather prognosticators! And what better way to fill those cold blustery evenings than something interesting and topical to read? Welcome to the Winter 2014 Edition of Reaching Out, our newsletter specifically focussed on issues relevant, and of particular…
Just in Time for the New Year: The AODA and its January 1, 2014 Deadlines
The January 1, 2014 deadline to comply with a number of standards in the Integrated Accessibility Standards regulation (the “IAS Regulation”) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”) is fast approaching for many organizations. In this FTR Now, we provide a brief overview of some key obligations required by that date….