On June 7, 2021, the Government of Ontario filed amendments to several Regulations made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”). The majority of the amendments relate to the reporting of workplace accidents.
Employers in Ontario should review their current incident reporting policies and procedures regarding critical injury or fatalities in the workplace to
On June 4, 2021, the Ontario Government announced that the “COVID-19 Period” and the temporary measures introduced by O. Reg. 228/20: Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (the “Regulation”) under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”) have been extended until September 25, 2021.
The Regulation, which was first introduced in May 2020,
On May 20, 2021, the government of British Columbia passed Bill 13, Employment Standards Amendment Act (No. 2), 2021, which amends the Employment Standards Act, 1996 to provide employees with three days of paid sick leave for reasons related to COVID-19, as well as a permanent paid sick leave for any illness or injury.
On April 29, 2021, the Ontario government passed Bill 284, COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, 2021 amending the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”) to require employers to provide employees with up to three days of paid leave if they miss work for reasons related to COVID-19. The entitlement is retroactive to April 19, 2021 and will end on September 25, 2021, with the possibility that it might be extended.
Continue Reading Paid Sick Leave in Ontario for Reasons Related to COVID-19
Government benefits and guidance relating to COVID-19 are being introduced quickly and are rapidly evolving. Earlier this month, the Government of Canada amended existing legislation to extend access to certain recovery benefits and published accessibility guidelines to help employers remove barriers for persons with disabilities during the pandemic.
Extension of COVID-19 Recovery Benefits
On March
On January 12, 2021, the Government of Ontario declared a second state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the government issued a province-wide Stay-at-Home Order and amended O. Reg. 82/20: Rules for Areas in Stage 1 (“Stage 1 Rules”) to introduce stricter lockdown measures starting January 14, 2021.
Continue Reading Ontario Declares Second State of Emergency and Announces New Public Health Restrictions
Last week, the Ontario Government amended O.Reg. 228/20 to extend deemed infectious disease emergency leave (“IDEL”) under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA“) from January 2, 2021 to July 3, 2021.
Continue Reading Deemed Infectious Disease Emergency Leave Further Extended to July 3, 2021
Last week, the federal government passed Bill C-44, Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1 (“Bill C-44″), introducing a new administrative monetary penalty system under Part IV of the Canada Labour Code (the “Code“) and broadening the authority of inspectors, among other things.
Continue Reading Increased Inspection Powers and New Administrative Penalty System under Canada Labour Code
Last week, the Government of Canada passed the Regulations Amending the Employment Equity Regulations (the “Amended Regulations“) introducing new pay transparency measures, effective January 1, 2021. The Amended Regulations aim to clarify and improve the data gathering processes that govern the reporting of salary data by federally regulated employers with 100 or more employees.
Continue Reading Regulations Amending the Employment Equity Regulations Create Additional Salary Reporting Obligations on Federally Regulated Employers
Last week, the Ontario government passed its latest budget bill, Bill 229: Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 (“Bill 229”). Bill 229 implements initiatives contained in Ontario’s 2020 budget through amendments to existing statutes.
Amendments to key employment statutes include:
Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019:
Bill
