New Federal Online Harms Bill: Possible Implications for Federal Employers

The federal government tabled Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act (Bill C-63) on February 26, 2024. Bill C-63 aims to curb online harms, especially to children, by targeting the spread of harmful content on social media. If passed, key features would include the establishment of the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, the introduction of an…

New Transparency Requirements for Corporations Subject to the Canada Business Corporations Act Come Into Force on January 22, 2024

The federal government has proclaimed January 22, 2024 as the coming into force date for certain provisions of the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) that were enacted by the Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1. Corporations which are subject to the CBCA (Corporations) will now have additional reporting obligations regarding their registry of individuals with significant…

Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act Now in Force

On December 9, 2023, the Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act (Act) was proclaimed into force. The Act was originally introduced in 2019 as part of the omnibus Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1. As stated in the government’s news release, the Act is designed to address the construction industry’s long-standing concerns around doing…

Federal Government to Extend Temporary Measures under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

On March 27, 2023, the federal government announced the extension of temporary measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. As stated in the announcement, the extended measures include: The government also announced that the TFW Program will begin transitioning to the LMIA Online Portal as the primary method to…

Federal Minimum Wage to Increase on April 1, 2023

On March 21, 2023, the federal government announced that the federal minimum wage will increase from $15.55 to $16.65 per hour on April 1, 2023. The increase applies to the federally regulated private sectors, including banks, postal and courier services, telecommunications, and interprovincial air, rail, road and marine transportation. Federally regulated private sector employers are…

Federal Government Launches Consultations to Improve the Collective Bargaining Process

On October 19, 2022, the federal government announced that it is seeking public feedback regarding its plan to improve the collective bargaining process. The government states that the consultation was launched in response to its commitment to introduce legislation by the end of 2023 to prohibit the use of replacement workers during a strike or…

CHRT Seeks Feedback on Draft Rules and Forms Regarding Pay Equity

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) has published and is seeking comments on its Draft Rules Respecting Pay Equity and accompanying draft forms. Comments are due by May 10, 2022. Background On August 31, 2021, the federal government proclaimed in force the Pay Equity Act (Act) and related regulations. The Act applies to federally regulated…

Federal Government Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Federally Regulated Workplaces

On December 7, 2021, the federal government announced that it will propose regulations under Part II of the Canada Labour Code to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory in all federally regulated workplaces. The government stated that it will be consulting with key stakeholders on these new regulations, which it anticipates will come into force in…