Keyword: labour laws

21 results found
Could the pandemic prompt employment insurance reforms?

More than eight million Canadians have received the $2,000 monthly Canada Emergency Response Benefit over the course of the pandemic. But labour experts say its very existence, while a triumph of policy-making on the fly, proves the need for significant reform to Canada’s employment insurance system. The pandemic quickly exposed long-standing issues with the EI […]

Feds announce new temporary relief measures for pension plan sponsors

New draft regulations from the federal government would allow registered pension plans to borrow money and extend the deadline to retroactively credit pensionable service under a defined benefit plan in a bid to help plan sponsors maintain their pensions through the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the government’s coronavirus economic response plan, the regulations would apply to employers […]

  • By: Staff
  • July 6, 2020 November 30, 2020
  • 09:30
Feds extending time period for temporary layoffs during pandemic

Canada is providing federally regulated employers with more time to recall employees who were laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under employment legislation, employers could temporarily lay off staff for up to three months if no notice with a recall date was provided or for up to six months or if they provided a notice with an expected […]

  • By: Staff
  • June 25, 2020 November 12, 2020
  • 15:15

The Ontario government is amending the Employment Standards Act to make temporary layoffs which occurred after March 1, 2020, part of new emergency leave provisions put in place in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Normally, employees are legally considered terminated after 13 weeks of a temporarily lay off and are therefore entitled to severance […]

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On Sept. 1, federally regulated employers will see the impact of several changes to the Canada Labour Code, including the new right for employees to request flexible working arrangements, as well as new leaves and other measures supporting workplace flexibility. “The changes to the code . . . will support employees in achieving better work-life […]

Constructive dismissal and the corresponding duty to mitigate damages

In a recent case, the Ontario Superior Court found an employee failed to mitigate damages when he refused a return-to-work offer from his employer, with whom he had a good working relationship. In the case, Gent v. Strone Inc., the plaintiff, David Gent, had been employed for 23 years by Strone Inc., first as a carpenter and then […]

  • June 4, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 08:30
Can employers require mandated arbitration in employee disputes?

In response to months of pressure from employees, Google Inc. said last week it will no longer require employees to settle disputes with the company through arbitration. The change, which will take effect March 21, 2019, will apply to current and future employees. Last year, Google said it would end mandatory arbitration — which requires employees […]

Labour, employer groups say feds to pass on rules for weed in the workplace

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 […]

Canadian labour standards not keeping up with changing workplaces, says government

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 […]

  • By: Staff
  • August 31, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 08:15
Wages, flexible working top issues for unionized workplaces for 2018: report

Looking ahead at economic uncertainty and legislative changes around employment standards, 2018 will be a year of complexity at the bargaining table for both employers and unions, according to a new report by the Conference Board of Canada. The report, which also draws from the organization’s latest compensation planning outlook survey, found that the top three negotiation […]

  • By: Staff
  • January 17, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:00