Dear Friends, Welcome to our Winter 2019 edition of Reaching Out. The last 18 months have been a tumultuous time in employment law in Ontario. We saw the introduction of sweeping changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995 in January 2018, only to see many of them repealed in January…
Topic: Cannabis
FTR Quarterly – Issue 12
In This Issue: Year in Review – Key Human Resources Law Developments of 2018, The Road Ahead: Human Resources Trends and Issues to Watch in 2019 and more!
WSIB Issues New Policy on Medical Cannabis
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has issued Policy 17-01-10 Cannabis for Medical Purposes (Policy) which will come into effect on March 1, 2019. The WSIB has previously covered the cost of medical cannabis in some circumstances, primarily for the relief of pain in accordance with section 33 of the Workplace Safety and Insurance…
AdvantAge Ontario Webinar: Human Resources Law – The Year in Review
Join this popular annual webinar to hear about important developments in human resources law over the past year, and the key trends to think about for 2019. Topics will include an update on: bargaining trends in the LTC sector; managing the workplace consequences of the legalization of cannabis; the labour and employment impacts of the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018; the impacts of the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 on employers; and more!
Benefits Canada Publishes an Article by Thomas Agnew on Benefits Coverage for Medical Marijuana
Hicks Morley’s Thomas Agnew authored an article in Benefits Canada titled “Employer Obligations Around Medical Pot, Benefits Plans.” In a case from February 2017, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal confirmed that an administrator of a benefits plan can choose what specific drugs and medications will be covered by a plan. In particular, it held that the exclusion of medical cannabis…
FTR Quarterly – Issue 11
In This Issue Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans Recreational Cannabis and Your Workplace: Five Steps to Consider Featured Topic – Cannabis Expertise Featured Articles Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans By: Natasha D. Monkman With the legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018, employers across Canada have been preparing to answer questions about whether…
Federal Government Proposes Significant Workplace Law Reforms
On October 29, 2018, the federal government tabled Bill C-86, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, omnibus legislation giving effect to certain initiatives in its 2018 Federal Budget. If passed, the Bill will make substantial changes to the Canada Labour Code and enact a federal Pay Equity Act, among other things. For federally regulated…
Ontario Posts New Sign Requirements under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017
The prescribed signs that employers, proprietors and others will be required to post under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 are now available on an Ontario government website.
Signs Required to be Posted under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 Now Available on Government Website
Further to our FTR Now of October 18, 2018, Employers Take Note: Provincial Cannabis Legislation and Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 (Including New Poster Requirements) Now in Force, the government of Ontario has now posted information regarding the new rules under the Act as well as the signs required to be posted by employers and others…
Jacqueline Luksha Answers “Burning Questions” about the Legalization of Cannabis on the CBC News Network
Hicks Morley’s Jacqueline Luksha was featured on the CBC News Network with Andrew Nichols on October 17, 2018 discussing issues that employers and employees are facing in light of Wednesday’s legalization of cannabis. Questions that Jacqueline responded to in this feature include: Does legalization mean that employees are entitled to consume cannabis in the workplace? What should employers be keeping in…