Myths and misunderstandings regarding employees on leave
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
As more employees spend time on leaves of absence, employers seem to be struggling to understand their rights and obligations…
Read the rest of this post »Posts Tagged ‘accommodation’
Meeting the customer service standard: restaurant menus
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
All businesses with at least one employee will have to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Customer Service Standard taking effect January 1, 2012. With regards to restaurants you need to have a policy on allowing people to use their own assistive devices to access your goods and services, and that includes your menu.
Read the rest of this post »Emergency preparedness: New AODA rules for persons with disabilities
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
Under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulations of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), effective January 1, 2012, organizations in Ontario must provide and make available in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, information about emergency response plans or public safety to customers and employees with disabilities.
Read the rest of this post »It’s that time of year: Seasonal Affective Disorder hits some employees
Friday, November 4th, 2011
‘Tis the season for us to put away the lawn furniture and take apart the garden. The sunlight hours are decreasing and the plants around the house are turning brown. We are now faced with leaves on the ground, colder, damper weather, and soon, Christmas commercials. As we take out our winter coats and snow shovels, it is important to remember that this is the time that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can hit employees. What can employers do?
Read the rest of this post »ATP holders not allowed to smoke medical marijuana in liquor licensed establishments
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
Although it was clearly discriminatory on the prohibited ground of disability, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal recently found it could not allow an applicant to smoke his medical marijuana in liquor-licensed establishments. This discrimination could be justified because…
Read the rest of this post »The Air Canada pilots’ mandatory retirement saga – will it end with the tribunal’s third decision?
Friday, August 26th, 2011
In July, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal made its third decision in the case of two Air Canada pilots who challenged the airline’s mandatory retirement policy. The tribunal decided in favour of Air Canada. Then, in August, the tribunal decided in a similar case involving 70 other Air Canada pilots. The tribunal again decided in favour of the airline, but for different reasons. For those hoping the July decision would settle the matter once and for all, the August decision is sure to confuse matters.
Read the rest of this post »A closer look at the accessibility standard for employment under the AODA
Friday, June 10th, 2011
Now that the Integrated Accessibility Regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act is now law and will come into force on July 1, 2011, let’s take a closer look at the accessibility standard for employment.
Read the rest of this post »Undue hardship – myth or reality? Learn the latest!
Monday, June 6th, 2011
Every employer has experience accommodating employees due to their religion, family needs, health or disability. Accommodation is a necessary practice to manage a workplace today, and it’s the law in Canada, enshrined in the Canadian Human Rights Act and various provincial statutes. But every case of accommodation is different, and interpretations of the law vary.
Read the rest of this post »Slaw: AODA era part IV: Employment standard
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
The employment standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is found under part III in the Proposed Integrated Accessibility Regulation (PIAR), which is slated to become law around July 2011 (not confirmed). This standard requires an organization that is an employer to engage in the proactive identification, removal and prevention of barriers hindering the full participation in employment of persons with disabilities. It also requires…
Read the rest of this post »Family status – a ground of discrimination just like any other
Friday, February 4th, 2011
Some recent cases make the message to employers very clear: employers cannot minimize or ignore requests for accommodation on the basis of family status. The requests must be treated in the same way as requests for accommodation based on any other protected ground in the human rights legislation.
Read the rest of this post »An interesting story of how the employer did the right thing
Friday, November 19th, 2010
I recently read a case coming out of the Yukon where an employee accused his employer of discriminating against him based on the ground of mental disability, which was contrary to the Yukon Human Rights Act.
Read the rest of this post »Employers discussing employee medical condition with other employees
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
In general, an employer, manager, supervisor or HR professional discussing an employee’s medical condition with other employees is just plain inappropriate…
Read the rest of this post »Employees with illness: walking the line between accommodation and discrimination
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
Dealing with chronically ill employees is always a challenge for HR managers. They are often faced with the conflicting requirements of fairness to the employee and maintaining the employer’s ability to get work done.
Read the rest of this post »A broader view of workplace diversity
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Workplace diversity efforts often focus on employees’ gender, race and ability. The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants wants to broaden employers’ horizons and help them see the larger picture of diversity. “The concept of diversity encompasses factors including age, culture, personality, skill, training, educational background and life experience. The influence of a variety of perspectives and viewpoints can contribute to flexibility and creativity within organizations, which can help them thrive in a complex and competitive global economy.”
Is she suggesting organizations hire unskilled and inexperienced workers with poor personalities? Probably not.
Read the rest of this post »Employees who hate working…a human rights issue?
Friday, May 28th, 2010
An employee who hates working and being managed by his or her supervisor – Can this become a human rights issue in the workplace? Well it depends!
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Recent Comments
Leslie D Foreman:
I agree with the court decision. Granting a full 52 weeks leave for an adoptive...
Andrew Taillon:
Thanks Chris. I would suggest that the confusion arises from the way damages were...
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