Publication Name: Case In Point

Arbitrator Upholds Mandatory Vaccination Policy—Reduced Public Health Measures of No Consequence

· 2 min read

In a “bottom line” decision in Extendicare Lynde Creek Retirement Home and United Food & Commercial Workers Canada, Local 175, Arbitrator Raymond upheld the mandatory COVID-19 Immunization Policy (Policy) of a retirement home, finding that the Policy is a reasonable workplace rule and consistent with the collective agreement, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the…

HRTO Finds Availability of Different Remedies under a Different Proceeding not Determinative of Whether Substance of HRTO Application had been Appropriately Dealt With  

· 3 min read

In Green v National Steel Car Ltd., the Human Rights Tribunal Ontario (HRTO) found that the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) has the direct authority to apply the Human Rights Code (Code) and to determine the appropriate accommodation of medical restrictions. The application before the HRTO on the same issue, therefore, had been…

Arbitrator Upholds TDSB Mandatory Vaccination Policy

· 5 min read

On March 22, 2022, Arbitrator William Kaplan issued The Toronto District School Board and CUPE, Local 4400 (Re COVID-19 Vaccine Procedure), an award in which he upheld the mandatory vaccination policy (Policy) of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). He found that the Policy did not infringe section 7 (life, liberty and security of person)…

Arbitrator Finds Mandatory Vaccination Policy Implemented by Energy Sector Employer to be Reasonable

· 5 min read

In Power Workers’ Union v Elexicon Energy Inc., Arbitrator Michael Mitchell recently held that a mandatory vaccination policy implemented by Elexicon Energy Inc. (Employer) was reasonable for all employees, except for those who had been working exclusively from home and had no expectation or requirement of returning to the workplace in the near future, and…

Court Finds ESA Prohibition on Non-Compete Agreements Does Not Apply to Agreements Entered into before October 25, 2021

· 4 min read

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has held that the recently enacted provision in the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) which prohibits non-compete agreements in employment contracts or other agreements does not apply prior to October 25, 2021. By way of background, Ontario’s Working for Workers Act, 2021 (Act) received Royal Assent on December 2,…

Arbitrator Upholds Mandatory Vaccination Policy

· 4 min read

On November 9, 2021, Arbitrator Von Veh upheld the mandatory vaccination policy (Policy) implemented by a security company, finding the company acted reasonably in implementing the Policy and that it did not breach the collective agreement. The award provides some helpful guidance for employers that have implemented similar policies.  In United Food And Commercial Workers…

Ontario Court Denies Injunctive Relief Pending Action Challenging Employer’s Vaccination Policy

· 7 min read

On October 29, 2021, Justice Dunphy of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declined to extend emergency injunctive relief to a group of University Health Network (UHN) employees, seeking reprieve from UHN’s Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy (Policy) which required employees to either become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 22, 2021, or be terminated from…

Appellate Court Finds Former Employee was Provided Notice of Agreement Terms; No Entitlement to Unvested Stock Options

· 4 min read

In Battiston v. Microsoft Canada Inc., the Ontario Court of Appeal held that an employee who provided online acknowledgements that he had read the employer’s stock option agreement was bound by the provisions of that agreement (including the termination provisions), whether he had read them or not. Background Facts Mr. Battiston had been employed by…