In Christian Labour Association of Canada v. Caressant Care Nursing & Retirement Homes (D. Randall), a union filed a group grievance on behalf of a number of its members working at an Ontario retirement home to challenge the...more
1/7/2021
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Arbitration ,
Ontario ,
Screening Procedures ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On November 19, 2020, Ontario announced it had launched “inspection blitzes” to help stop the transmission of COVID-19 and keep workers safe. The inspections involve the deployment of provincial offences officers from...more
12/1/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Failure to Comply ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Ontario ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workplace Safety
On November 3, 2020, Ontario announced a new COVID-19 Response Framework, Keeping Ontario Safe and Open (New Framework) that will be approved by Cabinet on November 6, 2020. Public health units will be transitioned to the...more
11/9/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Government Lockdown ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Ontario ,
Public Health ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Workplace Safety
On October 2, 2020, the government of Ontario filed Ontario Regulation 546/20 (Regulation) made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020. The Regulation came into force on October 3, 2020....more
10/9/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Rights Code ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Masks ,
Ontario ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Workplace Safety
Employers with employees in Ontario often ask about legislative requirements under various employment statutes, including mandatory policies, training and postings under the Employment Standards Act, 2000, the Workplace...more
Posting: Employment Standards Act, 2000 -
The poster is prepared by the Minister of Labour to help ensure employers understand their minimum obligations and employees know their rights.
Employers must:
• provide each...more
8/13/2020
/ Canada ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
OHSA ,
Ontario ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Posting Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Training Requirements ,
Workplace Safety ,
Workplace Violence
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health, safety and well-being of its residents within enclosed public spaces, on June 30, 2020, the City of Toronto passed By-Law 541-2020 (“By-Law”). The...more
On April 27, 2020, Ontario released a Framework for Reopening Our Province. This Framework contemplates the gradual reopening of the province in three stages, with each stage lasting for approximately two-to-four weeks to...more
7/16/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Ontario ,
Popular ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Workplace Safety
On June 4, 2020, in International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1620 v. Lower Churchill Transmission Construction Employers’ Association Inc., 2020 NLCA 20 (“International Brotherhood”), the Court of Appeal of...more
On June 16, 2020, Ontario released a Guide to help employers satisfy their responsibilities under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers...more
On April 27, 2020, Ontario released a Framework for Reopening Our Province. This Framework contemplates the gradual reopening of the province in three stages, with each stage lasting for approximately two-to-four weeks to...more
6/15/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Ontario ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Workplace Safety
Although Canadian employers that provide essential services have remained open since the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic, other employers were required to close their physical operations. Despite this, the nature of the...more
On May 27, 2020, Ontario updated its COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool (Tool), which was originally launched in March 2020. The interactive Tool requires users to respond to a series of questions and, based on their responses,...more
On April 30, 2020, in anticipation of the gradual reopening of its economy, Ontario announced that it had released safety guidelines to enable employers to protect workers, customers, and the general public. The guidelines...more
In Canada, the easing of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic is determined by each individual province or territory. A number of provincial governments have announced how they plan to gradually ease restrictions with a...more
Most workplaces in Canada are subject to provincial or territorial occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation. Federally regulated workplaces are governed by the federal OHS laws set out in Part II of the Canada Labour...more
Many Canadian employers implemented temporary layoffs due to the devastating financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis. These employers are entitled to recall their employees back to work at any point in time prior to the...more
On March 16, 2020, Premier Doug Ford and Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, announced that the Ontario government intends to introduce legislation that, if passed, would immediately provide...more
3/18/2020
/ Canada ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Leave ,
Workplace Safety
Given the rapid spread and implications of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), employers are confronting difficult questions regarding how to handle safety and health rules, travel restrictions, privacy of employees’ health...more
3/17/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Business Continuity Plans ,
Canada ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Health and Safety ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Traveling Employee ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
At the time this Insight was prepared, there were eight reported cases of the coronavirus in Canada; three are in Ontario and five in British Columbia. The first of these cases was confirmed on January 25 and the last was...more
2/19/2020
/ Bereavement Leave ,
Best Practices ,
Canada ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Travel ,
Leave of Absence ,
Medical Leave ,
OHSA ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Traveling Employee ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
In Canada Post Corp. v. Canadian Union of Postal Workers, 2019 SCC 67, one of the last decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) in 2019, the court clarified the extent of a federally-regulated employer’s inspection...more
1/22/2020
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Rights ,
Failure to Comply ,
Federal Employees ,
Health and Safety ,
Inspection Rights ,
Labour Code ,
Safety Inspections ,
Supreme Court of Canada ,
Workplace Safety
When Canada’s Cannabis Act and supporting regulations came into force on October 17, 2018, Canada became the first major world economy to establish a legal framework at the federal level for the adult recreational use of...more
11/26/2019
/ Artificial Impairment ,
Canada ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Act ,
Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Labor Regulations ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana-Infused Edibles ,
Medical Foods ,
Plant Based Products ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recreational Use ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Safety Standards ,
Workplace Safety
Employers with employees in Ontario often ask about legislative requirements under various employment statutes, including mandatory policies, training and postings under the Employment Standards Act, 2000, the Workplace...more
6/25/2019
/ Accessibility Rules ,
Canada ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
OHSA ,
Ontario ,
Posting Requirements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Workplace Safety
The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador rendered a welcome decision in February for employers across Canada that have been struggling to balance their obligations under occupational health and safety and human rights...more
4/11/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Canada ,
Construction Project ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Health and Safety ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Undue Hardship ,
Unions ,
Workplace Safety
Employers with employees in Ontario often ask about legislative requirements under various employment statutes, including mandatory policies, training and postings under the Employment Standards Act, 2000, the Workplace...more
3/8/2019
/ Canada ,
Employee Rights ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Standards Act ,
International Labor Laws ,
Ontario ,
OSHA ,
Posting Requirements ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Strict Compliance ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety