On July 27, 2016, we circulated an FTR Now advising clients of the release of the Interim Report of the Special Advisors who are conducting the Changing Workplaces Review (Review). In this, our first follow-up FTR Now, we will focus on Personal Emergency Leave (PEL) under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) as that entitlement is being singled out for earlier consideration in the Review…
Tag: Legislative Initiative
Changing Workplaces Review – Interim Report Issued
Since May 2015, two government-appointed Special Advisors – Mr. Justice John Murray and Mr. Michael Mitchell – have been undertaking the Changing Workplaces Review (Review) to consider the changing nature of the workplace, the causes behind those changes, and whether the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA) and the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) need to be amended to meet challenges created by the changes…
Ontario, Federal Governments Launch Gender Inclusivity Initiatives
On June 29, 2016, the Ontario government announced significant new initiatives intended to promote inclusivity and ensure equitable treatment of trans and non-binary gendered persons…
Summer ESA and OHSA Inspection Blitzes to Focus on New and Young Workers
Among other recently announced initiatives, the Ministry of Labour is conducting two province-wide enforcement and prevention inspection blitzes…
Federal Government Consults on PIPEDA Data Breach Regulations
On March 4, 2016, the federal government posted Data Breach Notification and Reporting Regulations (Regulations) for public discussion. Amendments to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) enacted by the Digital Privacy Act (Bill S-4) will, upon proclamation, require private sector organizations to notify the public in circumstances where security safeguards involving their…
Ontario Proposes Regulatory Amendments to Prohibit Use of Medical Marijuana Vaporizers in Workplaces
On March 10, 2016, the Ontario government introduced Bill 178, Smoke-Free Ontario Amendment Act, 2016. If passed, Bill 178 would amend the Smoke Free Ontario Act to provide for prescribed products and substances, in addition to tobacco. Among other things, Bill 178 would prohibit a person from smoking a prescribed product or substance or holding…
Ontario Proposes Elimination of the “30% Rule” for Pension Investment
Further to announcements made in its 2015 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, the Ontario government is soliciting feedback on proposed regulatory reforms that would eliminate the current investment rule that prohibits plan administrators from making investments that result in pension funds owning more than 30% of the voting shares of a corporation. The so-called “30% rule”…
2016 Ontario Budget and Budget Bill Released
On February 25, 2016, the Ontario government tabled its 2016 Budget “Jobs for Today and Tomorrow” (“Budget”) and the corresponding Budget Bill, Bill 173, Jobs for Today and Tomorrow Act (Budget Measures), 2016 (“Bill 173”), supporting omnibus legislation designed to implement some of the proposals contained in the Budget. Our FTR Now of February 29, 2016, “Ontario Budget 2016”…
Deadline for Filing Amendments Relating to British Columbia’s PBSA Reform Extended
Significant reforms to the Pension Benefits Standards Act (“PBSA”) in British Columbia came into force on September 30, 2015. Originally, amendments to plans registered in British Columbia which reflect the new legislative requirements had to be filed by December 31, 2015. This week the British Columbia Financial Institutions Commission announced that the filing deadline will be extended to March 31,…
Ontario Launches Three-Month AODA Compliance Blitz Targeting Large Retailers
This Fall, the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure will be leading targeted audits of retail companies with 500 or more employees during a three-month blitz to ensure workplaces and employee practices are accessible and compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (“AODA”). Among other things, audited employers will be asked to provide…