Labour & Employment

In yet another “time for a change” speech, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced last week that the government will take steps to close the wage gap between men and women. The gender-based wage gap has been stagnant for over a decade at about 30% – usually expressed as women earning…

In March 2017, the federal government announced its intention to extend employment insurance parental benefits to 18 months. This change took effect on December 3, 2017. While many Canadian employers are not thrilled with this change, it’s not all bad news. Same Total Maximum EI Benefits Par…

Employers need some good news these days, with rising minimum wages, employee-friendly changes to many employment standards, and let’s not even mention the stock market. So I’m happy to share the decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Nemeth v. Hatch Ltd. in which a very simple terminati…

Two sisters from Inuvik Native Bands were employed by White Tornado Cleaning Services, owned by Rhonda Sallows. Their employment ended when they both quit, in response to allegedly being yelled at repeatedly by Ms. Sallows. Ms. Sallows subsequently told the sisters that she was decreasing th…

Happy New Year, everyone! Effective January 1, 2018, the method used for calculating public holiday pay has changed, meaning that the way employers are required to pay qualifying employees for New Year’s Day will be different than the method used for calculating Christmas and Boxing Da…

We frequently warn our clients about the significant risks of prematurely cutting off an employee’s insurance benefits post-termination. Here is an excellent article from the Globe & Mail explaining the reasons for that advice. If you have any questions regarding this article or a…

The provincial government went silent throughout much of the fall when Ontarians could expect to have a third reading of Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017. However, last Thursday, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs adopted significant amendments to Bill…

It seems that everywhere we look these days, sexual harassment is on the radar – whether in Hollywood, the CBC or in our own workplaces. Recent changes to Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act now require investigations to be conducted by employers into all incidents or complaints of …

Recently, the federal government released the results of a year-long series of consultations with unions, employer organizations, federal government departments and agencies, academics, and advocacy groups on the subject of workplace harassment and violence. The consultation process also inv…

As the end of the year approaches, and with it the deadline for many businesses to file their Accessibility Compliance Report, it seems as good a time as any to review the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (the “AODA”) and confirm your organization’s compliance. More on that …