Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
Do your managers and front line workers have accurate facts about human rights issues? A number of conversations I have had with workers lately inform me that many people allow their emotions to overwhelm the facts. The misunderstandings that flow from this emotional response can lead to costly violations of the law for your organization.
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Twice in the last month while conducting training sessions, I have had a workshop participant insist that their workers could NOT file a claim directly with the HRTO because the workers are members of a union. The workers must, they have insisted, file a grievance and settle their human rights claim via the labour relations process. A review of the law reveals the above is simply NOT the case.
Read the rest of this post »Friday, September 30th, 2011
Along with the customer service standard, four out of the five accessibility standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act are now law and in place. They are accessibility standards in the areas of Customer Service, Information and Communication, Employment and Transportation. These standards are complex and they require understanding and preparation. Ontarians can no longer ignore them.
Read the rest of this post »Monday, August 29th, 2011
Over eight months in 2010, the Ontario government consulted with not-for-profit organizations and their representatives on ways that the government could better support the NFP sector. “Participants advised on legislation, policies, structural issues and funding mechanisms. They also contributed ideas on how to better coordinate policy, research and communication with and for the sector.”
Read the rest of this post »Friday, August 5th, 2011
What prompts a supervisor or worker to send a co-worker inappropriate text messages? In British Columbia, sexually charged messages in the workplace have led to trouble for employers. What do employers need to know so they can avoid being on the hook for sexual harassment?
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
Aggression sometimes occurs in the workplace. That is a fact! And when conflicts are left unresolved, employers have employees resigning or taking tremendous amounts of sick leave to deal with these issues, or the aggression crosses the line into assault or battery, or you receive a human rights or occupational health and safety complaint.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
In Ontario there is a regulation called the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service. One of the requirements of this regulation is that persons with disabilities are allowed to enter your organization’s public premises with a service animal. A person should be able to remain with the animal unless otherwise excluded by law. If the animal is…
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, June 16th, 2011
The Ontario Bar Association Citizenship and Immigration Section recently met with representatives of Opportunities Ontario, the province’s Provincial Nominee Program (“PNP”). During this meeting, they provided insight into the level of recruitment activities that would be expected from an employer who files a PNP application on behalf of a prospective employee.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
Employers in Ontario must be aware of the changes that are happening and the requirements that will be placed on them in the very near future under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act …
Read the rest of this post »Monday, June 6th, 2011
Canadians are pretty good at creating businesses that last, according to a new study by the Chartered General Accountants’ Association of Canada. Around 85 percent of new Canadian businesses survive for a year, 62 percent make it at least three years and 51 percent are still going after five years. The Business Development Bank of Canada puts this last number above 66 percent.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Regulation obligates Ontario businesses and their employees to communicate with persons with disabilities in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability. Employers must train employees to interact and communicate with people that have various types of disabilities…
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 »Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
The Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) requires that when conducting a workplace violence risk assessment you take into account both the nature of your workplace and type of work you perform…
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
Morris has been Everett’s supervisor for over six years. Recently Morris had hired several administrative assistants and was giving the new recruits a workplace tour. The entourage stopped near the area where Everett was working and Morris introduced everyone. “Everett is your go-to person, ladies, for advice on fashion, hair, make-up or anything else a girl needs to know these days.”
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
The question for Steve in this workplace scenario is: did you know your actions were unwelcome at the time of the occurrence?
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Andrew Taillon:
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