On October 24, 2017, the Ontario government released a draft policy aimed at supporting students with prevalent medical conditions. Policy PPM 161- Supporting Children and Students with Prevalent Medical Conditions (Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Diabetes, and/or Epilepsy) in Schools, to be finalized in Winter 2018, will require school boards across Ontario to have individualized care plans in…
Practice Area: Occupational Health
Ontario Proposes Legislation to Protect Access to Abortion Services
As announced earlier this year, the Ontario government has introduced legislation to protect access to abortion services at women’s health clinics or facilities, as well as certain protected service provider offices. Protected service providers are people who work in clinics or certain health professionals who provide, or assist in the provision of, abortion services. If…
Medical Marijuana in the Workplace [Video]
With an increasing number of employees receiving prescriptions for medical marijuana to treat various ailments, employers and service providers are grappling with how to respond. In this video, Jacqueline Luksha discusses the implications of medical marijuana in the workplace and at places of business, touching on the duties of employers and service providers to accommodate medical marijuana’s use while ensuring a safe work environment. To assist employers and service providers, she provides some best practices on how to meet those obligations.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Settlements [Video]
Everything a municipality always wanted to know about Emergency Medical Services (EMS) settlements… and more. Watch this video featuring Mark Mason for an overview of current information you, as an employer, should be aware of in reaching settlements with your EMS staff, including percentage increases in recent settlements, current trends, the differences across jurisdictions, hourly rates and comparators.
Ontario Tables Omnibus Healthcare Bill
On September 27, 2017, the Ontario government tabled Bill 160, Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act, 2017, omnibus legislation which addresses the delivery of healthcare services in Ontario. If passed, Bill 160 would create the following statutes: The Health Sector Payment Transparency Act, which would require disclosure of information about financial relationships within the…
Appellate Court Issues Favourable Decision for Suncor on its Random Drug and Alcohol Policy
The legal saga on the issue of random drug and alcohol testing of employees continues. In Suncor Energy Inc v Unifor Local 707A, the Alberta Court of Appeal sent the issue of whether Suncor’s random drug and alcohol testing policy violated the privacy rights of its unionized workers back to a new arbitration hearing before…
Back to School Edition – Student-Focused Case Law and Legislative Update
Welcome back to school! We hope everyone enjoyed a restful summer season. To kick off the school year, we bring you the latest edition of our School Board Update with particular emphasis on legislation and decisions involving the student body…
Immunization of School Pupils Act Amendments Coming into Force September 1, 2017
On September 1, 2017, sections 1, 2, 3 and 5 of Schedule 2, Bill 87, the Protecting Patients Act, 2017, amending the Immunization of School Pupils Act (Act) will come into force. Among other things, the amendments require that the parent of a pupil complete an immunization education session with a medical officer of health…
Ontario Court of Appeal Confirms Harassment by Town Resident Outside Scope of Workplace Harassment Policy
In a recent decision, Rainy River (Town) v. Olsen, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the decision of an application judge which refused to grant a declaration that a resident of the Town of Rainy River had violated the Town’s workplace harassment policy when he harassed and defamed the mayor, council members and staff. The…
Court Orders Condo Resident to Cease and Desist her Uncivil Conduct Toward the Condo Corporation’s Staff
In a brief decision, York Condominium Corp No 163 v Robinson, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently ordered a resident/owner of a condominium unit (Resident) to cease and desist from “uncivil or illegal conduct” that violated the rules of the condominium corporation (Condo) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The dispute in…