Friday, October 14th, 2011
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2011 (Bill 3) was introduced in the British Columbia legislature on October 4, 2011. The Bill aims to facilitate digitization, compiling, sharing and combining of personal data across government ministries (including the Ministry of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government). Individuals would be able to access government services with a secure digital identification card and personal ID number.
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, July 28th, 2011
On July 15, 2011, several workers showed up to work as usual at IQT Solutions, only to be told that their employer had unexpectedly shut down its Canadian operations: three call centres, one in Ontario and two in Quebec. About 1,200 IQT employees were suddenly unemployed with no final paycheque, vacation pay or notice of termination.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
The Ontario Legislative Assembly passed Bill 160, the Occupational Health and Safety Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011 by a vote of 79–0. Most provisions of the Bill will take effect when it receives royal assent sometime in June. However, some sections will take effect on either April 1, 2012, or a date set by the lieutenant-governor, whichever is earlier.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
There have been some sweeping changes at the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) this year. Are you ready for the new return-to-work and New Experimental Experience Rating (NEER) policies? And do you know about the soon-to-be effective Bill 160? Come join us at the annual Employment Law Conference to Learn the latest.
Read the rest of this post »Friday, May 20th, 2011
Last August, I told you about the horrific scaffolding accident where five workers fell 13 storeys from an apartment building on Christmas Eve 2009. Four died and one suffered serious leg and spinal injuries. At this point, we must learn from this accident in order to ensure it never happens again.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
Historically, Ontario’s employment standards laws have been reviewed and updated frequently to address changes in the workplace. As expected, the provincial government has adopted various changes to employment standards in the last year or so. Understanding and following the Employment Standards Act requires that those affected by changes make the time to read about them and ask questions if something is unclear. In addition, it is your responsibility…
Read the rest of this post »Friday, February 25th, 2011
The Ontario Ministry of Labour recently emailed their latest Court Bulletin indicating that a company that makes plastic auto parts received a hefty fine of $50,000 for violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
The oddly named Open for Business Act 2010 received royal assent on October 21, 2010. The purpose of this Ontario statute, as its name implies, is to promote Ontario as being “open for business”. It amends and simplifies procedures within a number of government ministries, including the Ministry of Labour.
Read the rest of this post »Friday, December 17th, 2010
On December 10, 2010, the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety submitted its report to the Ontario government, containing several significant recommendations that will help improve workplace health and safety. The panel believes that…
Read the rest of this post »Friday, August 27th, 2010
Last week, I wrote about the incident in which five migrant workers fell 13 storeys when a platform collapsed on Christmas Eve, 2009. Four died instantly, but one survived. This fifth worker, who suffered grave injuries, has now launched a civil suit for damages.
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
Self-employment runs in my family. My sister’s 17-year-old is spending her summer days working in the family cabinet-making business. She reluctantly changed into more suitable footwear before heading out the door this morning.
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
As a human rights advisor and educator I was encouraged to overhear this educational conversation about harassment at Tim Hortons. I was concerned however that part of the message this group was hearing was incorrect and misleading.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
This year, Canada Day (July 1) falls on a Thursday. Unlike some public holidays, which shift dates in order to provide a long weekend, Canada Day is to be celebrated on the day it falls. This year, there has been much discussion of the fact that it creates a situation in which many people have Thursday off, and are then expected to return to work for one day before enjoying their weekend.
Read the rest of this post »Friday, June 11th, 2010
In my previous post on hazing and horseplay in the workplace, I referred to a recent incident where photos and videos revealed some very questionable events involving management and employees of the City of Mississauga. Since the acts were potentially criminal, the police became involved and started an investigation. Although some have said that the employees consented to the horseplay and hazing, one may wonder if that was really the case.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
Ontario workplace inspection blitzes under the Safe at Work initiative are announced in advance and results are reported after they are completed. The government’s schedule for upcoming blitzes include:
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Leslie D Foreman:Andrew Taillon:
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