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…

New Guidelines on Employment Equity Reporting

The federal government has published two new employment equity interpretation, policies and guidelines (IPGs) for employers subject to the Legislated Employment Equity Program (LEEP) under the Employment Equity Act. IPG 106 “Definitions and interpretations for reporting salary” provides that salary, bonus pay and overtime pay must be included as salary for employment equity reporting purposes….

Accessibility Standards Canada Publishes Guidelines for COVID-19 and Other Emergencies

On March 11, 2021, Accessibility Standards Canada updated its resources page to provide accessibility guidelines for COVID-19 or other emergencies. These guidelines offer practical information for persons with disabilities, including employees, and employers on a range of topics that are highlighted below. Accessible practices for returning to the workplace addresses accessibility barriers that may exist…

Supreme Court of Canada Finds Federal Genetic Non-Discrimination Act is Constitutional

On July 10, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its decision in Reference re Genetic Non‑Discrimination Act, upholding the constitutionality of the impugned sections of the federal Genetic Non-Discrimination Act (Act) in a split decision. The constitutional question was raised in a reference by the Quebec government to the Quebec Court of Appeal, which…

Federally Regulated DB Pension Plans Given Temporary Relief as a Result of COVID-19

On April 15, 2020, the federal government announced that, effective immediately, it is providing temporary relief to sponsors of federally regulated defined benefit (DB) pension plans, in light of the pandemic’s negative effect on the economy and the resulting financial constraints faced by many sponsors. For the remainder of 2020, there will be a moratorium…