Employer News

Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021 received Royal Assent on December 2, 2021. more >

In Blake v University Health Network, the Court lifted an interim injunction that it had previously issued to preserve the employment status quo in a case involving an application by a group of employees at Toronto’s University Health Network challenging the validity of UHN’s recently adopted mandatory vaccination policy. more >

In a welcome decision for employers, the Ontario Court of Appeal foundthat a former employee who provided online acknowledgement of having read, understood and accepted the provisions of a stock award agreement via email, including the disputed termination provisions, had been given sufficient notice of those terms to make the termination provisions enforceable. more >

On October 25, 2021, the Ontario government tabled Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021. If passed, Bill 27 would amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Occupational Health and Safety Act, as well as other statutes. more >

On June 3, 2021, Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) (“Bill C-5”), received Royal Assent. Bill C-5 came into force on August 3, 2021. more >

On August 17, 2021, the Ontario Government announced that some high-risk organizations will be required to have mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies. The Ontario Government’s announcement comes shortly after the Government of Canada’s announcement on August 13, 2021, that it intends to require all employees across the federal public service to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as early as the end of September. more >

On June 7, 2021, the Ontario Superior Court issued its decision in Taylor v Hanley Hospitality Inc. The Court ruled that a temporary layoff for reasons related to COVID-19 does not constitute constructive dismissal for the purposes of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 or the common law.  more >

Some Ontario employers have taken action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace by introducing mandatory COVID-19 testing policies. The issue of whether an employer can legally introduce a mandatory COVID-19 testing policy has been considered in at least three Ontario arbitration decisions of note. more >

Effective June 4, 2021, 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 September 25, 2021. more >

For some Ontario employers, a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy may be advisable given their duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. However, employers wishing to implement such a policy will need to balance workplace safety concerns against employees’ contractual, privacy, and human rights. more >