Important Changes to Policing in Ontario

By Glenn Christie
With the passage of Bill 68, Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019 (Act), on March 26, 2019, policing in Ontario is set to undergo some important changes. These changes are not limited in their effect to police service boards, police associations and individuals who work in policing. They are also very important for municipalities and the wider community.

Federal Budget 2019 – Something for (Almost) Everyone?

On March 19, 2019, the federal government tabled its 2019 Budget, “Investing in the Middle Class.” This is an election year, and there is a wide array of initiatives sprinkled throughout the Budget, covering many groups and sectors. There is something for (almost) everyone. In this FTR Now, we focus on the key employment, labour, executive compensation, pension and employee benefits announcements of most interest to employers, human resources professionals, plan sponsors and administrators.

Ontario Announces Significant Health Care Reform

On February 26, 2019 the Ontario government tabled Bill 74, The People’s Health Care Act, which includes the introduction of the Connecting Care Act, 2019. If passed, the legislation will allow 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 delivery systems. In this FTR Now we provide an overview of the proposed legislation, with an emphasis on the labour and employment implications for health service providers.

Ontario Tables Health Care Reform Legislation

On February 26, 2019, the Ontario government tabled Bill 74, The People’s Health Care Act, 2019, which proposes significant changes to Ontario’s health care system.

Supreme Court Privacy Case Affirms the Importance of School Safety

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Canada held that a teacher committed the crime of voyeurism by surreptitiously recording images of female high school students. In finding that the students had a reasonable expectation of privacy, the Court relied on the trust imposed on teachers and the need for a safe and orderly school environment – a positive for school boards.

An Update on the Status of Family Status – Just in Time for Family Day

In a recent decision released by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Tribunal found that an employer discriminated against the Applicant, a personal support worker, by failing to accommodate her special childcare needs. The Tribunal found that the Applicant’s employment was terminated at least in part because she was unable to offer more flexible hours due to her childcare obligations. The Tribunal awarded a remedy of $30,000 in compensation for injury to the Applicant’s dignity, feelings and self-respect.

Reaching Out – Fourteenth Edition

Dear Friends, Welcome to our Winter 2019 edition of Reaching Out. The last 18 months have been a tumultuous time in employment law in Ontario. We saw the introduction of sweeping changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995 in January 2018, only to see many of them repealed in January…