Friday, January 6th, 2012
The Ontario Ministry of Labour has recently proposed a new regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act that would prescribe certain functions of the Office of the Worker Adviser and the Office of the Employer Adviser in regard to worker complaints of reprisals by employers under section 50 of the Act. What does it really mean?
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, June 9th, 2011
A guest drowns in the hotel pool. Does the hotel need to report the fatality to the Ontario Ministry of Labour under subsection 51(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act? According to a decision by the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB), the answer is “yes”. On May 18, 2011, the Divisional Court…
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Nearly one year ago, the Ontario government enacted Bill 168, which added workplace violence and harassment provisions to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Many employers were ready, but many are still scrambling to comply, which, among other things, includes developing written policies to address both violence and harassment at work and to review those policies at least once a year.
Read the rest of this post »Friday, January 21st, 2011
The Ontario Court of Appeal just rendered an interesting decision regarding whether independent contractors are to be counted when determining the need to establish and maintain a joint health and safety committee pursuant to subsection 9(2)(a)of Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
According to the Ontario Ministry of Labour and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the leading cause of lost-time injuries in the province. That is why, from September 15 to November 15, 2010, the Ministry of Labour will hold a workplace safety inspection blitz that focuses on MSD hazards in all sectors…
Read the rest of this post »Friday, August 20th, 2010
The Ministry of Labour just laid charges carrying fines of up to $17,000,000 against two companies that ran and supplied a platform that collapsed last year. There were also charges against executives and supervisors that could carry fines and time in jail.
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 9th, 2010
Ontario Ministry of Labour health and safety inspectors discuss employers’ responsibilities around workplace violence and harassment…
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
To our great surprise, First Reference recently got a visit from an Ontario Ministry of Labour Occupational Health and Safety Inspector. I knew we had nothing to worry about; however, it is still unnerving when an inspector comes knocking at the door…
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
On May 17, 2010, the Ontario government tabled Bill 68, Open for Business Act, 2010. The aim of the Bill is to…
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, May 13th, 2010
On May 13, 2010, the Ontario government announced new measures to increase safety in the construction industry. These measures are a result of past enforcement inspection blitzes at construction worksites.
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, May 6th, 2010
The Ontario Ministry of Labour has a new online Severance Entitlement Tool to help employers and HR professionals determine when a terminated employee is entitled to statutory severance pay.
Read the rest of this post »Monday, April 19th, 2010
The Ministry of Labour has announced that the safety of young and new workers will be the focus of a four-month enforcement health and safety blitz across Ontario beginning in May 2010. According to the government, young and new workers in Ontario are four times more likely to be injured during the first month of employment than at any other time.
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, January 28th, 2010
On January 27, 2010, I attended the HRPA annual conference. I was most interested on the session titled, Violence in the Workplace: An Update on Bill 168 from the Ministry of Labour. I needed some clarification on possible exemptions to the new violence and harassment prevention law and the application of certain measures in the bill.
Read the rest of this post »
Leslie D Foreman:Andrew Taillon:
Copyright © 2012 - First Reference | Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS) | Twitter | Facebook
WordPress theme designed by 
web design
