Last week saw significant developments at Queen’s Park that will be of interest to all employers in Ontario. On Thursday, May 1, 2014, the Ontario government introduced its 2014 Budget, entitled Building Opportunity, Securing Our Future (the “Budget”). On the same day, the government introduced Bill 194, the Building Opportunity and Securing Our Future Act…
Publication Name: FTR Now
Federal Court of Appeal Upholds Johnstone, Clarifies Nature and Scope of Family Status Protections
On May 2, 2014, the Federal Court of Appeal unanimously upheld the findings of the Federal Court concerning an employer’s obligation to provide workplace accommodation for an employee’s childcare needs in Canada (Attorney General) v. Johnstone (“Johnstone“), a case that has garnered significant media attention. As the first decision from an appellate-level court on this…
Three New Leaves of Absence Added to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 Effective October 29, 2014
On April 29, 2014, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 21, the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Leaves to Help Families), 2014. Royal Assent was given on the same day. Bill 21 will amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “Act“) to add three new job-protected leaves of absence effective October 29, 2014 – family caregiver leave,…
Ontario Proposes Significant Pension Regulation Reforms
On April 25, 2014, the Ontario government released four proposals (the “Proposals” or the “Proposal”) in respect of proposed amendments to Regulation 909 (the “Regulations”) under the Pension Benefits Act (“PBA”) and is seeking comments from interested stakeholders. The Proposals relate to PBA reforms introduced or announced by the Ontario government over the past four…
Supervisors of Part-Time College Employees Now Excluded from Union Membership
In a decision with important implications for colleges across the province, Arbitrator Brian Keller has found that college employees who supervise part-time bargaining unit members are excluded from bargaining unit membership by operation of the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act (the “CCBA” or “Act“). In this FTR Now, we discuss this decision and its significance for…
Ontario Government Proposes New Public Sector Compensation Restraint Legislation
On Monday, March 24, 2014, the Ontario government introduced Bill 179, the Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014. If passed, Bill 179 would give the government the authority to create comprehensive compensation frameworks for certain employers in the broader public sector (“BPS”), and would implement a number of measures to enhance “accountability…
Canada Labour Code Amendments (Bill C-45) to Come into Force April 1, 2014
Effective April 1, 2014, much-anticipated amendments to the Canada Labour Code (“Code“) first outlined in Bill C-45, the Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, will come into force. The amendments will implement a statutory framework for complaints relating to unpaid wages and other alleged violations of the Code, its regulations or orders made under Part III….
Ontario Moving Closer to Creating Statutory Presumption for PTSD Claims Made by Emergency Response Workers
Managing mental illness flowing from workers’ compensation claims may become more difficult for emergency management services employers in Ontario. On February 27, 2014, Bill 67, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), 2014, passed Second Reading in the Ontario legislature with all-party support, and was referred to Committee for consideration. If passed,…
Pension Asset Transfers Made Easier
Long-awaited amendments to the Ontario Pension Benefits Act (“PBA”) regarding the transfer of assets between pension plans became effective on January 1, 2014. New supporting Regulations under the PBA[1] (the “Asset Transfer Regulations”) also came into force on January 1, 2014. This FTR Now provides a high-level overview of the new asset transfer regime. The…
Federal Budget 2014
On February 11, 2014, the Minister of Finance, the Honourable James Flaherty, tabled the 2014 Federal Budget “The Road to Balance: Creating Jobs and Opportunities” (Economic Action Plan 2014). This FTR Now focuses on some of the key proposals that are of particular interest to employers, human resources professionals and pension plan administrators. TAX INITIATIVES…