health and safety legislation

Cold and flu season has arrived ̶ Is your workplace prepared?

November 11, 2013 Christina Catenacci Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Wages and Compensation

Cold and flu season has arrived. Cold and flu spread more easily in the cold winter months because they thrive in colder, less humid environments. Thus, between October and February of each year, virtually thousands of employees get sick with the cold and/or flu, and that translates into lost work time, reduced productivity and disruption of workplace operations. As we all know, the flu can wreak havoc in the workplace as it spreads very quickly. What can employers do to minimize the impact of colds and influenzas (flus) on the workplace?

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Religious accommodation and safety issues

February 25, 2013 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Employee Relations, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights

As we can see by this article, employees requesting a religious accommodation can sometimes conflict with safety issues.

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Employee burnout: how employers can help avoid it

April 13, 2012 Christina Catenacci Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources

Is there a law that says employers must prevent employee burnout? No, not really, but occupational health and safety legislation across Canada provides that an employer must take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect a worker. That could include ensuring that an employee does not suffer from full blown burnout. When employers assist in this regard, they are also ensuring that their workplaces remain healthy and productive, and have higher morale.

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A true tale of a real-life industrial accident

June 13, 2011 Andrew Lawson Health and Safety, Human Resources

The Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) is very clear on the many, many responsibilities employers have for ensuring the safety and well being of their workers. However, not listed in the OHSA is the duty to follow your gut instincts or the duty to lead by example.

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