On May 6, 2024, the Ontario government introduced the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 (Bill 190). Bill 190 proposes amendments to various employment-related statutes, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. Some of these proposed amendments were discussed in our FTR Now of…
Practice Area: Human Rights
Ontario Proposes Changes to Sick Leave Under the Employment Standards Act, 2000
The Ontario government has announced it is proposing changes that would restrict an employer from requiring a medical note to substantiate an unpaid sick leave day under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). Currently, an employee who has been employed for at least two consecutive weeks is entitled to up to three days of unpaid…
Understanding “Safe Sport” Sanctions and Disciplinary Issues Under the Universal Code of Conduct
Introduction Disciplinary issues and related sanctions can arise in any organization, but they can be especially challenging to navigate in relation to safe sport. The federal government has committed to addressing harassment, discrimination and abuse in sport by requiring all federally funded sport organizations to adopt the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address…
Alex Lemoine
Alex has developed a speciality in advising clients on matters related to accessibility compliance, executive compensation and workplace dispute resolutions.
More on the Interplay Between CLC Paid Leaves and Collective Agreement Entitlements
In Teamsters Local Union 987 of Alberta v Purolator Inc., Arbitrator Robertson considered the interplay between the entitlement to five days of paid personal leave found in two collective agreements and the entitlement under the Canada Labour Code (CLC) to 10 days of paid medical leave (CLC Medical Leave) and five days of personal leave,…
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…
Nouveau projet de loi fédéral sur les préjudices en ligne: répercussions possibles pour les employeurs fédéraux
Le gouvernement fédéral a déposé le projet de loi C-63, la Loi sur les préjudices en ligne (projet de loi 63), le 26 février 2024. Le projet de loi C-63 vise à réduire les préjudices en ligne, en particulier pour les enfants, en ciblant la propagation de contenu haineux sur les médias sociaux. Si la loi…
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…