On November 7, 2018, the government of Ontario posted proposed changes to regulations made under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) in support of the ESA amendments introduced by Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018. Proposed Changes to O. Reg. 502/06 (Terms and Conditions of Employment in Defined Industries – Automobile Manufacturing,…
Tag: Employment Standards Act
New ESA Regulations Exempt Crown Employees from Hours of Work/Overtime Provisions of ESA; Reduce Penalties for Notices of Contravention
On October 24, 2018, the Ontario government filed two regulations made under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). O. Reg. 448/18 amends O. Reg. 285/01 (When Work Deemed to be Performed, Exemptions and Special Rules) to exempt Crown employees from the hours of work/eating periods and overtime provisions of the ESA. Specifically, the exemption applies…
End of the Bill 148 Era: Ontario Bill to Reverse Employment and Labour Reforms
On October 23, 2018, the Ontario government introduced Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 (Bill 47), new legislation that if passed in its present form would effectively “undo” many of the key changes to workplace laws implemented by Bill 148. The range of changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA)…
Recent ESA Cases of Note
In a significant decision rendered on September 19, 2018, Wood v. CTS of Canada Co., the Ontario Court of Appeal considered the Form 1, which is required under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) to be posted and filed in cases of mass termination.
FTR Quarterly – Issue 10
In This Issue: 5 Key Things for Employers to Consider in Drafting Termination Clauses in Employment Contracts, What Is – and What Isn’t – Constructive Dismissal: An Update, FTRQ&A with John Kloosterman: Key Differences Between Canadian and U.S. Employment Law and much more!
Labour Notes® Newsletter Features Article by Ryan Plener on Termination Clauses and Proper “Failsafe” Language Ruling by the Appeal Court
The July 24, 2018 issue of Labour Notes® newsletter features an article authored by Hicks Morley lawyer Ryan Plener. In the article “Appeal Court Rules on Termination Clauses and Proper ‘Failsafe’ Language,” Ryan discusses how a recent decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal, where it reversed the lower court decision, could serve as an example to clarify the different interpretations of the employment contract provisions which limit entitlements upon termination.
Julia Nanos Quoted in Canadian Lawyer Magazine on the Effect New Pay and Scheduling Laws Have on Retailers and Restaurants
Canadian Lawyer Magazine quoted Hicks Morley’s Julia Nanos in a July 3, 2018 article titled “Retailers squeezed by new rules.” The article discusses how some of the new laws implemented in Ontario, such as calculations for holiday pay and equal pay for equal work are affecting restaurants and retailers.
The First Bill 148 Cases: Overview of Key New ESA Decisions
It has now been 7 months since Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, was enacted and cases are beginning to emerge which interpret the new provisions of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). In this Minimum Standards Monitor, we review some decisions of particular interest to employers which involve the new personal emergency leave (PEL) requirements, the equal pay for equal work provisions and the new minimum wage entitlements.
Appeal Court Rules on Termination Clauses and Proper “Failsafe” Language
The differing interpretations by the courts of employment contract provisions which limit entitlements upon termination has caused considerable confusion of late. The Ontario Court of Appeal has rendered a helpful decision which may serve to lessen some of the confusion. The Court reversed a lower court decision and found that a clause in an employment…
Update on Personal Emergency Leave in the Municipal Sector
The introduction of two paid personal emergency leave (PEL) days to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) has revived the debate about whether collective agreements or policies provide a Greater Right or Benefit (GROB), or alternatively, whether entitlements under the collective agreement or policies can be offset against the PEL entitlement. The first arbitration case since the paid entitlements were introduced (from Arbitrator Mitchnick) has brought an interesting twist to the debate.