On May 28, 2015, the Ontario government introduced Bill 109, the Employment and Labour Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015, proposed legislation intended to effect a number of changes to workplace laws, including: the labour relations provisions of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 ("FPPA"); the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act, 1997 ("PSLRTA"); and…
Practice Area: Workplace Safety & Insurance
WSIB Rate Framework Reform: Stakeholder Input Invited
On March 31, 2015, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”) released a number of discussion papers which propose a preliminary Rate Framework which, if adopted, would fundamentally change the way the WSIB classifies Schedule 1 employers and sets its premium rates. Under the proposal, the Secondary Injury and Enhancement Fund (“SIEF”) and existing experience…
Hicks Morley Hits the Bull’s-Eye in 2015 Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide
Hicks Morley is pleased to announce it has once again ranked as the leading law firm in the Labour Relations and Pensions category according to the 2015 Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada. Practice groups included in this category are Employment Law, Labour Relations, Labour Relations (Construction Sector), Occupational Health & Safety,…
David Bannon Joins the Firm as a Partner
We are pleased to announce that David Bannon has joined Hicks Morley as a Partner in our Toronto office. David practises in all areas of labour and employment law with a particular specialty in OHSA, construction labour relations, WSIB and the automotive sector. He has been certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as…
Ontario Reintroduces Legislation Amending Workplace Laws
On July 16, 2014, the Ontario government introduced Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014 (“Bill 18”). If passed, Bill 18 would make significant changes to a number of employment-related statutes, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”), the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance…
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…
William LeMay Quoted in Law Times
Hicks Morley’s Will LeMay was quoted in the June 9, 2014 edition of Law Times in an article entitled “Lawyers divided on WSIB stress-claim ruling.” The article discusses a Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal panel decision that chronic workplace-related stress could be a valid claim under Ontario’s workplace insurance system, and that some of…
Hicks Morley Lawyers Named Leading Practitioners in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory 2014
Hicks Morley congratulates each one of our lawyers who has been recognized as a leading practitioner in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory 2014. Further details can be found on Lexpert.ca. Toronto John E. Brooks Employment Law Labour Relations Donna M. D’Andrea Employment Law Labour Relations Henry Y. Dinsdale Labour Relations John C. Field Employment Law…
Deadline for Mandatory Health and Safety Awareness Training is July 1, 2014
Commencing on July 1, 2014, all Ontario employers are required to ensure that workers and supervisors receive mandatory safety awareness training pursuant to O. Reg 297/13, Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training. In this FTR Now, we provide a brief reminder about these new training obligations, which were discussed in detail in our November…
WSIAT Finds Limitations on Mental Stress Unconstitutional
On April 29, 2014, Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) issued a significant decision regarding entitlement to benefits for chronic mental stress under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (“WSIA“). In Decision No. 2157/09, the Tribunal found that the provisions in the WSIA limiting entitlement to mental stress that “arises from…