On November 16, 2016, the Ontario government introduced Bill 70, Building Ontario Up for Everyone Act (Budget Measures), 2016 (Bill 70). Bill 70 is omnibus legislation that includes various pension-related initiatives, including substantive changes to certain pension minimum standards…
Publication Type: Article
The Holiday Party: A Checklist for Employers
With seasonal festivities and holidays just around the corner, it’s that time of year again to consider the proactive steps employers can take to ensure the health and safety of employees who attend office parties or other celebrations…
Arbitrator Orders New Sick Leave Provisions for ETFO Teachers
In an important interest arbitration award, Arbitrator William Kaplan accepted the proposal of the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA) and the Crown to add two specific sick leave provisions to the central terms of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) teachers’ collective agreements…
Expanded CPP: The Next Generation
Legislative reforms have now been tabled to implement the much-anticipated expanded Canada Pension Plan (CPP) for Canadians. Find out what may be coming next – and what your organization should be doing now to prepare for it…
Ontario Human Rights Commission Releases New Policies on Drug and Alcohol Testing and Ableism and Discrimination Based on Disability
The Ontario Human Rights Commission has published updated guidelines on these critical issues – and what it thinks your organization should be doing…
Tribunal Rejects the Johnstone Test for Establishing Family Status Discrimination in New Eldercare Case
In a significant recent decision relating to eldercare accommodation, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) indicated its intention to depart from the test for family status discrimination outlined by the Federal Court of Appeal in Canada (Attorney General) v. Johnstone and Canadian National Railway v. Seeley…
Ontario Announces New Sexual Violence and Harassment Intervention Training for Bartenders and Servers
On September 8, 2016, significant amendments to Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) outlined in the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act (Supporting Survivors and Challenging Sexual Violence and Harassment) came into force…
Ontario Moves Forward with BPS Executive Compensation Restraint
On September 6, 2016, the Ontario government published Ontario Regulation 304/16 “Executive Compensation Framework” (Regulation) under the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act, 2014 (BPSECA), which provides the compensation framework in accordance with which compensation programs for “designated executives” under the BPSECA must be developed, including a detailed process and specific one-year timeline for their development…
Changing Workplaces Review – Focus on Temporary Help Agencies and their Clients
For the past month, we have reported extensively on the Interim Report issued on July 27, 2016 by the Special Advisors undertaking the Changing Workplaces Review. Previous issues of the FTR Now have reported on potential changes to Personal Emergency Leave, the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA), and the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA)…
Annuitization of Supplementary Pension Benefits: Less Favourable Tax Treatment Arrives January 1, 2017
On January 1, 2017, changes to Canadian tax rules come into force that will impact how certain annuity payments are taxed. For prescribed annuities purchased after that date, more of each payment will become taxable as a result of these changes…