On June 21, 2019, Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act (Act) passed as amended by the Senate and received Royal Assent. The provisions of this Act come into force on a day to fixed by order of the Governor in Council. As we previously reported, the Act is accessibility legislation which impacts certain federally regulated…
Publication Name: Human Resources Legislative Update
“Non-Construction” Employer Deeming Provision under LRA Now in Force
On April 3, 2019, Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2019, received Royal Assent. Among other things, the Bill amends the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA) to deem certain public sector entities as “non-construction” employers to whom the construction provisions of the LRA will not apply. Such entities include municipalities, local housing corporations, social services…
Ontario Health and Safety Regulations Amended
On June 10, 2019, the Ontario government filed a number of amendments to regulations made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. O. Reg. 186/19 replaces the “Equivalency” provision of Regulation 851 (Industrial Establishments) with a new provision entitled “Alternative methods and materials.” It now requires employers to provide written notice to the joint health…
Ontario Clarifies DB Funding Reforms under the Pension Benefits Act
On May 21, 2019, the Ontario government filed Regulation 105/19 amending Regulation 909 (General Regulation) under the Pension Benefits Act (PBA). The amendments mainly relate to clarifying elements of the defined benefit (DB) funding rules that took effect on May 1, 2018. Many of the new clarifications have been requested by the pension industry over…
Ontario Budget Bill (Bill 100) Passes
As previously reported, on April 11, 2019, the Ontario government released its 2019 Budget and introduced Bill 100, Protecting What Matters Most Act (Budget Measures), 2019. Bill 100 received Royal Assent on May 29, 2019. Of particular interest to employers and human resource professionals are the amendments made to the following statutes: Public Sector Labour…
Health Care Reform Bill Passes
On April 18, 2019, Bill 74, The People’s Health Care Act, 2019, passed as amended by the Standing Committee on Social Policy and received Royal Assent. Bill 74 provides for the creation of a central agency, Ontario Health, to oversee the health care system across the province, as well as the creation of integrated care…
Ontario Budget 2019 Tabled
On April 11, 2019, the Ontario government tabled its Budget 2019, “Protecting What Matters Most.” We are reviewing the Budget and an FTR Now highlighting initiatives of interest to employers, human resources professionals and pension plan administrators will be available shortly on our website.
Ontario Government to Consult on Public Sector Compensation
On April 4, 2019, the President of the Treasury Board, Peter Bethlenfalvy, delivered a speech entitled The Path to Balance: Protecting What Matters Most in which he announced that the Ontario government will engage in consultations with public sector employers and bargaining agents on how to best manage compensation growth in the public sector. In…
Bill 66 Passes, Amends ESA, LRA and PBA
On April 3, 2019, Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2019, received Royal Assent. Bill 66 is omnibus legislation which amends various statutes, including the following employment-related statutes: Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) The ESA has been amended to remove the need for employers to obtain the approval of the Director of Employment Standards in…
Proposed OHSA Regulatory Changes for Automobile Manufacturing Plant Construction Projects
The Ontario government has posted the following two proposed amendments to regulations made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) which pertain to automobile manufacturers and to construction firms which undertake construction projects on behalf of owners of automobile manufacturing plants