On February 3, 2021, the Ontario Minister of Education announced the dates for return to in-person learning for the remaining schools that have not yet opened for in-person learning. On Monday February 8, elementary and secondary schools located in the following public health units will return to in-person learning: Brant County Health Unit Chatham-Kent Public…
Publication Type: Blog Post
Ontario Publishes Updated Tool for Screening Workers
The Ontario government has updated its COVID-19 tool for screening workers before they go to work each day. The “COVID-19 Screening Tool for Businesses and Organizations (Screening Workers),” issued by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, contains several changes of note to employers. These include: a reference to the regulatory screening requirement under O. Reg….
Ontario Commences Review of Working at Heights Training Standards
The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (Ministry) is seeking submissions as part of its review of the Working at Heights training program and provider standards. The intent of the review is to ensure the Working at Heights training standards established by Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) further to the Occupational Health and Safety…
Ontario Court of Appeal Finds Anti-SLAPP Motions Can Apply To Causes of Action Beyond Defamation
The Ontario Court of Appeal recently released two decisions which consider the Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) provisions of the Courts of Justice Act. The provisions are aimed at discouraging actions that have the harmful effect of chilling individuals and organizations from speaking out on matters of public interest. The first decision of the…
Redeployment Ability of Health Service Providers (Including Hospitals) Expanded
On January 18, 2021, the Ontario government amended Ontario Regulation 74/20, Work Redeployment For Certain Health Service Providers (Regulation), made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020. The amendments – which came into effect January 18, 2021 – are intended to help alleviate the increasing staffing and capacity issues faced by…
Ontario Launches First Aid Modernization Consultation
The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (Ministry) has launched a “First Aid Modernization” consultation on transferring the responsibility for first aid from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to the Ministry. Currently, the WSIB administers Regulation 1101, First Aid Requirements, made under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. Regulation 1101 applies…
Proposed Legislation to Ensure International Travellers Will Not Be Eligible for Recovery Benefits During Mandatory Quarantine Period
On January 11, 2021, the federal government announced that it will be proposing legislation to ensure international travellers returning to Canada will not be eligible to receive any of the recovery benefits – the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) – for their mandatory…
Ontario Makes Further Amendments to COVID-19 Rules
On January 9, 2021, the Ontario government filed three regulations made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 amending the Rules for Areas in Stages 1, 2 and 3, which set out the restrictions in light of COVID-19. Among other things, Ontario Regulation 6/21 makes the following amendments to the…
Lockdown Extended in Northern Ontario; On-Line Learning for Elementary Students in Southern Ontario Extended to January 25, 2021
On January 7, 2021, the Ontario government announced that it is extending the current provincial lockdown an additional 14 days for the 7 public health unit regions in Northern Ontario. This will align the length of their lockdown with the length of the lockdown for the regions in Southern Ontario. The government also announced that…
Ontario Court of Appeal Upholds $1.27 Million Damages Award Against Employer for Breach of Fixed-Term Employment Contract
In McGuinty v. 1845035 Ontario Inc. (McGuinty Funeral Home), the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower court decision awarding the respondent over $1.27 million in damages for constructive dismissal. Background The respondent had sold his family’s funeral business to the appellant employer and entered into a 10-year transitional consulting services agreement (TCSA) in 2012….