In its January 2021 newsletter, What’s New, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development provides new and updated guidance for businesses that are required to have a written safety plan, including all...more
On January 12, 2021, the Office of the Premier of Ontario announced that in response to modelling data showing the province is in a COVID-19 crisis and its hospitals’ Intensive Care Units will be overwhelmed in a few weeks, a...more
On January 4, 2021, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health issued Toronto Public Health Instructions for Workplaces (Instructions), addressed to “All Employers and Persons Responsible for a Business or Organization in the City...more
1/11/2021
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Employees ,
Workplace Safety
As we entered a new decade in 2020, Canada saw significant developments in labour and employment law, some of which related to COVID-19. This Insight provides an overview of 14 key 2020 developments, with links to more...more
1/8/2021
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employment Standards Act ,
False Light ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Invasion of Privacy ,
Layoffs ,
Leave of Absence ,
Relief Measures ,
Tort ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Subsidies Schemes ,
Wrongful Death
In Christian Labour Association of Canada v. Caressant Care Nursing & Retirement Homes (D. Randall), a union filed a group grievance on behalf of a number of its members working at an Ontario retirement home to challenge the...more
1/7/2021
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Arbitration ,
Ontario ,
Screening Procedures ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On November 19, 2020, Ontario announced it had launched “inspection blitzes” to help stop the transmission of COVID-19 and keep workers safe. The inspections involve the deployment of provincial offences officers from...more
12/1/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Failure to Comply ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Ontario ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Safety Inspections ,
Workplace Safety
On November 20, 2020, Ontario announced that in order to stop the spread of COVID-19, Toronto and Peel (including the cities of Mississauga and Brampton) will move to the maximum Lockdown level restrictions in the Keeping...more
On October 2, 2020, the government of Ontario filed Ontario Regulation 546/20 (Regulation) made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020. The Regulation came into force on October 3, 2020....more
10/9/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Human Rights Code ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Masks ,
Ontario ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Workplace Safety
In response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Ontario, the province has imposed health screening obligations on employers. On September 25, 2020, the province’s government filed Regulation 530/20, which was made...more
10/1/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
Ministry of Health ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Risk Management ,
Screening Procedures
On July 24, 2020, Ontario’s new Bill 195, Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, became law. In accordance with Bill 195, Ontario’s Emergency Declaration has ended (subject to the provincial...more
8/18/2020
/ Canada ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Orders ,
Employment Standards Act ,
Infectious Diseases ,
International Labor Laws ,
Layoffs ,
Leave of Absence ,
Ontario ,
Subsidies ,
Wage and Hour
On May 27, 2020, Ontario updated its COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool (Tool), which was originally launched in March 2020. The interactive Tool requires users to respond to a series of questions and, based on their responses,...more