The Ontario government introduced a new act on Tuesday that, if passed, would repeal or change much of the employment laws established by the previous government in Bill 148. The provincial government intends to scrap the plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, maintaining it at $14 until 2020 and then tying future increases to inflation. […]
Earlier this month, Ontario premier Doug Ford announced in the provincial legislature that he would be axing Bill 148, an assortment of changes to the Employment Standards Act that the former Liberals put in place this year. Highlights of the bill included a raise to the minimum wage; a mandate of equal pay for equal work; personal emergency […]
Employer and labour groups say the Trudeau Liberals aren’t planning to roll out any new workplace impairment rules for federally-regulated workers once cannabis is legalized next week. Employers on the federally-struck committee wanted new labour code rules to provide detailed guidance to businesses on their and their employees’ responsibilities after legalization. A joint employer-worker group […]
The federal government has published its findings from nearly a year of consultations on federal labour standards with Canadian citizens, unions, labour organizations, employers, employer organizations and other stakeholders. “We heard one strong message throughout the consultations: the way Canadians work has changed, but federal labour standards have not,” said Patty Hajdu, minister of Employment, Workforce […]
With a bill before parliament aiming to amend the Canada Labour Code as it pertains to harassment and violence in federally regulated workplaces, the government is inviting Canadians to weigh in on its proposed regulatory framework. The proposal provides an outline of key elements of a workplace harassment and violence prevention policy, including: timeframes; confidentiality; how to […]
A new report is calling on the Newfoundland and Labrador government to establish presumptive legislation for post-traumatic stress disorder and occupational stress, as well as a law that outlines an employer’s responsibility in developing an approach to preventing those types of injuries. The report, published by the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, Memorial University of Newfoundland […]
Expanded leave of absence entitlements in British Columbia, including parental and compassionate leave, took effect at the end of May. The changes to the province’s Employment Standards Act allow mothers to start their maternity leave as early as 13 weeks before their expected due date, which is up from the previous 11 weeks. The province also […]
Life doesn’t always happen outside of business hours. Everyone experiences the challenges of managing elements of their personal lives while being physically and mentally present at work. Employers understand the importance of helping their workers manage work and life obligations, and many have policies and practices in place to help them attain that balance. In many ways, […]
The #MeToo movement may have given national prominence to the issue of sexual misconduct on Parliament Hill, but some of the responses to a recent Canadian Press survey suggest bullying and exploitation of those who work for political bosses are largely unexamined problems. “Sexual harassment happens and is devastating to those that experience it, but […]
Though Canada has only two statutory religious holidays, Christmas Day and Good Friday, some Canadian employees may be seeking to take time off for other religious holy days. So how are employers required to accommodate them? Ontario’s Human Rights Commission notes “employers have a duty to accommodate an employee’s creed to the point of undue hardship, […]