Ontario Declares State of Emergency and Issues Stay-at-Home Order
The Government of Ontario declared a second state of emergency and has issued a Stay-at-Home Order and additional public health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. more >
Employer News
Looking for information on emerging trends and developments in labour and employment law? Check here regularly for the latest updates on issues that could impact your workplace.
Toronto Public Health to Regularly Publish COVID-19 Workplace Outbreaks, Announces New Measures for COVID-19 Workplace Safety
On January 4, 2021, Toronto Public Health (TPH) announced that, as of January 7, 2021, it will be publishing information regarding COVID-19 workplace outbreaks in the City of Toronto. more >
Province-wide Shutdown to Come into Effect December 26, 2020
On December 21, 2020, Premier Ford announced that Ontario will undergo a province-wide shutdown effective 12:01 AM on December 26, 2020. more >
Infectious Disease Emergency Leave Extended to July 3, 2021
Effective December 17, 2020, the temporary relief measures of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) implemented by O. Reg. 228/20: Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (the “Regulation”) have been extended to July 3, 2021. The extension of the “COVID-19 Period” in the Regulation ensures the measures implemented on May 29, 2020 remain in effect until at least July 3, 2021. These measures had previously been set to expire on January 2, 2021. The remaining aspects of the Regulations are unchanged and have been summarized in a previous post.
Toronto, Peel Region enter Lockdown Stage, Announcing Closure of Non-Essential Businesses
On Friday November 20, Premier Doug Ford announced that Toronto and Peel Region have been placed in the grey “lockdown,” stage for COVID-19 restrictions. The new restrictions take effect at 12:01am on Monday, November 23, 2020. more >
Accessibility Compliance Report Deadline Extended from December 31, 2020 to June 30, 2021
AODA requires that public sector organizations and businesses and non-profit organizations with 20 or more employees complete an accessibility compliance report each year. The deadline to submit this compliance report is typically December 31 of each year. However, in acknowledgement of the challenges faced by affected employers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline to file the accessibility compliance report has now been extended to June 30, 2021. more >
New Federal Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Regime to Take Effect January 1, 2021
On June 24, 2020, the federal government announced a new regime to help ensure that federally regulated workplaces are free from harassment and violence. The new regime will come into force on January 1, 2021, and will include changes to Part II of the Canada Labour Code by Bill C-65, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), as well as the federal government’s Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations. more >
Supreme Court of Canada Finds Termination Language in Long Term Incentive Plan Insufficient to Preclude Damages for Wrongful Dismissal
On October 9, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its long-awaited decision in Matthews v Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., 2020 SCC 26 (“Matthews”), finding that the Plaintiff was entitled to Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) compensation during the reasonable notice period despite plan language to the contrary. more >
Province Introduces Regulatory Amendment Regarding Mandatory COVID-19 Screening for Ontario Employees
On September 25, 2020, the Ontario Government amended Ontario Regulation 364/20 “Rules for Areas in Stage 3” under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020. The amendment requires businesses or organizations to operate in compliance with the advice, recommendations and instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health on screening individuals.
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Ontario Government Extends Application of Deemed-IDEL Regulations to January 2, 2021
On September 3, 2020, the Ontario government announced that the suspension of certain provisions of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 will be extended to January 2, 2021.