Air Canada is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and to report their vaccination status by Oct. 30. While the company will accommodate employees who have valid exceptions, such as medical conditions, that prevent them from being vaccinated, failure to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 30 will have consequences — including unpaid leave or […]
Ontario’s temporary paid sick leave program is receiving less uptake than initially expected. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday that, as of July 21, a total of $13.2 million in claims have been made to the program, which is retroactive to April 19 and ends on Sept. 25. When the program was first launched this […]
The federal government says legislation meant to help close the gender wage gap will come into effect on Aug. 31 and be phased in over the next three years. The Pay Equity Act requires federally regulated employers to ensure workers receive equal pay for work of equal value and is meant to help women get […]
In hiring its first manager of accessibility, Rogers Communications Inc. isn’t only ensuring it’s compliant with federal legislation, the company is also integrating the practice into its diversity, equity and inclusion goals to remove barriers at a systemic level for employees with disabilities. “I myself am a person with a disability and so starting at […]
An arbitration clause that doesn’t explicitly prohibit a terminated employee from making a complaint to the Ministry of Labour doesn’t offend employment standards legislation, the Ontario Superior Court has ruled. “The ruling will give comfort to employers that Ontario courts will enforce arbitration clauses,” says David Vaillancourt of Toronto’s AGM LLP, who represented Dealnet Capital […]
Alberta recently joined a growing list of provinces and territories that are amending legislation to introduce paid time off for workers who wish to get the coronavirus vaccine. The legislation, which took effect on April 21, ensures all employees in Alberta are now eligible for up to three hours of paid time off to get […]
The federal labour minister says the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need to give employees the ability to avoid work emails and text messages as the lines between home and work lives blur. The idea, known as the right to disconnect, first came up as a proposed addition to the federal labour code almost three years ago. Read: How can employers manage work-from-home burnout? […]
In advance of the federal government’s 2021 budget, released on Monday, the Ontario government struck down a motion by the New Democratic Party seeking to create a provincial paid sick leave program. Advocates have long called on the province to bring in paid sick leave, saying it would help support essential workers during the coronavirus […]
The federal Liberals are facing calls from some of the hardest-hit businesses in the coronavirus pandemic to extend emergency-relief programs beyond June. The government has targeted June 5 for an end to the federal wage and rent subsidies and this week extended applications for a popular loan program to the same time. The idea is […]
An International Monetary Fund report recently released advises the Canadian government to do a broader review of its employment insurance system to address gaps in eligibility after the Canada Emergency Response Benefit ended. “The crisis exposed gaps in Canada’s social safety net that should be addressed,” said the report. “The lessons from the crisis represent an excellent opportunity to review the EI system.” According to the […]