In December, Ontario’s Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 (Bill 229) received Royal Assent and we’ve outlined below the key legislative changes of interest to Ontario employers: Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) The amendments introduce two new unpaid leaves under the ESA: 1. Long-Term Illness Leave – Effective June 19, 2025 An employee who has...
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called a snap election, tentatively scheduled to take place on February 27, 2025. What do employers need to know about the rights an employee has during an election in Ontario? The Election Act outlines the entitlements of employees during an election in Ontario. The most notable of these entitlements is...
As we move into 2025, we’ve highlighted below some recent and important legal decisions in employment law comparing and contrasting Alberta and Ontario decisions. ALBERTA: In the case of Singh v. Clark Builders, 2025 ABKB 3 (CanLII), an Alberta court was dealing with a wrongful dismissal allegation from Mr. Singh who was employed by Clark...
Happy New Year! We hope that you all had a lovely holiday season. As we usher in the new year and return to post holiday to-do lists, this is a great opportunity to review your current Human Resources practices, policies and documents. Here are a few areas we recommend you focus on: Statutory Holidays: While...
Tis the season of celebrations! Hosting a staff holiday party is a great way of showing appreciation to employees, boosting morale, and celebrating year end. These celebrations can come in all shapes and sizes of fun, but they can also expose employers to liability, if not managed properly. Employer Liability As a general principle, an...
With the colder weather soon to arrive, many employers are preparing to hire seasonal workers for the winter. A recent decision regarding a seasonal worker serves as a reminder to employers that having the appropriate HR infrastructure in place can save employers from costly mistakes when hiring seasonal workers. In a recent decision, an employee...
ONTARIO ONLY: Having (playfully) mocked the Ontario government for its profound lack of creativity in naming the statutes by which it has been amending employment related legislation in past e-alerts; they have responded, deadpan, with the Working For Workers Five Act, 2024. Yes, folks, it has received Royal Assent. Here are some of the key...
British Colombia Effective November 1, 2024, amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) relating to the provision of occupational first aid take effect. These amendments better align BC with the Canadian Standards Association and include updates to requirements for first aid certifications and training levels, first aid kits, first aid assessments, transportation and...
A recent decision by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (“HRTO”) reminds Ontario employers once again to avoid terminating employees based on a prohibited ground of discrimination, in this case pregnancy (sex). Ms. Iskander was hired as a cook at a restaurant in Ottawa. During the interview process, Ms. Iskander made it known to the...
September means back to school and, for many families, adjusting to a new childcare routine. Let’s take a moment to re-visit and update our understanding of family status accommodation. To be brief, family status discrimination is the unfair, or less favourable, treatment of an employee due to their caregiving role. Canadian employers have a legal obligation...