As you may have heard or read in our earlier blog, More Changes to Ontario's Employment-Related Legislation Are on the Horizon, the Ontario government introduced Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023 in late March 2023. On...more
On October 1, 2023, the general minimum wage rate that applies to most provincially-regulated employees in Ontario will increase from $15.50 to $16.55 per hour....more
On March 20, 2023, the Ontario government introduced Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023 (Bill 79), which, if passed, will introduce changes to Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and other employment-related...more
Key Highlights -
- A constructive dismissal does not occur automatically just because an employer has unilaterally changed a key term of employment—the employee must reject the change.
- The employee must reject the...more
Key Highlights -
- Employers likely need to update terms in employment contracts on termination provisions, restrictive covenants and arbitration clauses.
- Five practical tips for Ontario employers as they review and...more
8/18/2022
/ Canada ,
Confidential Information ,
Electronic Monitoring ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Popular ,
Technology Sector
As we discussed in our previous insight, Ontario Passes New Legislation Which Includes an Electronic Monitoring Policy and a New Act for Digital Workers, the Ontario government amended the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the...more
As we discussed in our previous blog, Ontario Bill 27: Working for Workers Act, 2021 is Now the Law, the Ontario government amended the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the ESA) on December 2, 2021 to include a prohibition on...more
On October 18, 2021, the Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in Battiston v Microsoft Canada Inc., 2021 ONCA 727, in which it overturned the trial court's finding that termination provisions in a stock award...more
On October 1, 2021, the general minimum wage rate that applies to most provincially-regulated employees in Ontario will increase from $14.25 to $14.35 per hour. This 10-cent boost is tied to the Ontario Consumer Price Index...more
9/29/2021
On April 29, 2021, the Ontario Legislature passed the COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, amending section 50.1 of Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). As a result, provincially regulated employers must now provide...more
5/5/2021
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
On January 15, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada denied an application for leave to appeal from the Ontario Court of Appeal's June 2020 decision in Waksdale v Swegon North America Inc., 2020 ONCA 391. As a result, many...more
In Battiston v. Microsoft Canada Inc., 2020 ONSC 4286, the Ontario Superior Court held that a contractual provision (that unambiguously excluded the employee's rights to unvested stock awards after he was terminated without...more
Ontario employers, already grappling with the challenges of managing employee costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, now face the burden of an Ontario Court of Appeal decision that could materially increase many employers'...more
Earlier this month, the Ontario Ministry of Labour released version 8.0 of the Employment Standards Poster. This release coincides with recent changes to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) under Bill 47, Making...more
On October 23, the Ontario Government introduced Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 ("Bill 47"). The stated purpose of the legislation is to remove “the worst burdens that prevent Ontario businesses from...more
In November 2017, Ontario’s Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, received Royal Assent. While many changes to Ontario’s employment laws have already come into effect, others are just around the corner....more
In addition to significant changes to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) starting to take effect under Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, the Ontario Minister of Labour released version 7.0 of...more
On November 28, 2017, Ontario’s Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, received Royal Assent. While some major changes have already come into effect, others are just around the corner....more
On November 28, 2017, Ontario’s Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, received Royal Assent. Major changes are now on the horizon for all provincially-regulated workplaces in Ontario....more
On November 28, 2017, Ontario’s Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, received royal assent. What this means is that major changes are on the horizon for all provincially-regulated workplaces in Ontario....more
Employers often use fixed-term employment agreements to limit their future severance costs owed to employees. Although that may be an effective approach in theory, the Ontario Court of Appeal’s recent decision in Howard v....more
Following high-profile sexual harassment cases involving public figures, it is not surprising that combating sexual violence and harassment in the workplace has become a priority for the Ontario Government. In March 2015, the...more
The Ontario Ministry of Labour recently released version 6.0 of the Employment Standards Poster, which outlines employees’ minimum rights and employers’ minimum obligations. With the release of this new poster, almost every...more
If an employer puts a non-unionized employee on an indefinite administrative suspension with full pay but without explaining why, can this amount to a constructive dismissal? Yes, according to the Supreme Court of Canada in...more
3/24/2015
On November 20, 2014, Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014, received royal assent. This amends five employment and labour-related statutes in Ontario in an effort to protect employees. The effect...more