Bill 124 declared unconstitutional: Implications for the Education sector
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently found Bill 124, Ontario’s public sector wage restraint legislation, to be unconstitutional.[1] As a result, the Court declared the statute to be void and of no effect. However, the government has announced their […]
Bill 124 declared unconstitutional
On November 29, 2022, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled[1] that Bill 124, Ontario’s public sector wage restraint legislation, is unconstitutional. As a result, the Court declared the statute void and of no effect. The provincial government has announced […]
Federally regulated employers, take note: New paid sick leave entitlements take effect next month
On Monday, November 7, 2022, the Federal Government published the final regulations under the Canada Labour Code to implement ten days of paid sick leave for workers in federally regulated industries such as aviation, telecommunications, interprovincial transportation, and banking. As […]
Bill 88—Working for Workers Act, Part 2 passes third reading
On April 7, 2022, Ontario’s Bill 88 (the “Bill”) passed third reading in the Legislature and is anticipated to receive Royal Assent in the coming days. As summarized in our previous communique published when the Bill was first introduced, the […]
New Canada Labour Code regulations exempt certain transport drivers from hours of work and scheduling rules
Effective February 1, 2022, new regulations made under the Canada Labour Code (the “Code”) will exempt specific classes of federally regulated employees, including some transport drivers, from certain Code provisions concerning hours of work and scheduling. These exemptions form part […]
Michael Cleveland quoted in Global News segment on vaccine mandates
Global News
Michael Cleveland was quoted in this segment on vaccine mandates at work: A series of recent decisions has shown labour arbitrators are considering the specifics of each workplace and policy in determining whether the mandates can be imposed in a […]
When are COVID-19 vaccination policies enforceable in unionized workplaces? A review of recent arbitration awards
In two decisions released last week, labour arbitrators ruled upon the enforceability of workplace COVID-19 vaccination policies. In one decision,[1] the arbitrator upheld the employer’s policy as reasonable. In another,[2] an employer’s vaccination policy was found to be unreasonable. These […]
Government of Ontario providing financial relief to help employers cope with impacts of COVID-19
On October 6, 2021, Monte McNaughton, the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, announced a number of proposed changes that, if passed, will help employers across the province of Ontario cope with the economic hardship imposed by the COVID-19 […]
Ontario Human Rights Commission provides guidance for businesses navigating COVID-19 vaccination policies
On September 22, 2021, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (the “OHRC”) released a policy statement on COVID-19 vaccine mandates and proof of vaccine certificates. The OHRC’s statement provides welcome guidance for businesses looking to implement proof of vaccination requirements for […]
Ontario government extends temporary layoff provisions and paid IDEL
The Ontario Government has extended the maximum period of COVID-related temporary layoffs until January 1, 2022. Pursuant to Ontario Regulation 228/20 (the “IDEL Regulation”), during the “COVID-19 period,” employees are deemed to be on a job-protected Infectious Disease Emergency Leave […]
