health

Smokers need not apply: can Ontario employers refuse to hire nicotine users?

February 14, 2020 Vey Willetts LLP Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Recruiting and Hiring, 0

As of February 1, 2020, U-Haul no longer hires nicotine users in 21 of the US states in which it operates. The company, which employs over 30,000 people across the US and Canada, announced this new policy late last year. While it may be easy to understand U-Haul’s stated rationale for introducing this anti-tobacco policy, to adopt the same in Ontario would likely expose the company to liability.

discrimination in employment, employment application, employment law, health, human rights code, nicotine users, smoking, tobacco use disorder

Understanding seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

January 24, 2018 Beyond Rewards Inc Health and Safety, Human Resources

SAD is a real medical condition that can affect anyone, even people who are not already predisposed to depression. The condition is more common in women than in men. Most people who develop SAD start experiencing symptoms in their 30s. Most people with SAD live in northern climates where there are shorter days in the winter months. Their symptoms begin to lessen in the spring when the amount of sunlight increases each day.

depression, employment law, health, mental health, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Weather, wellness

Free prescription drug coverage for Ontario youth

December 12, 2017 Occasional Contributors Government Budgets, Throne Speeches and Plans, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits

Starting January 1st, 2018, prescription drugs will be free for Ontarians aged 24 and under. Ontario’s Youth Pharmacare, also known as OHIP+, is the first universal drug program of its kind in Canada. It represents a major step forward in providing health care savings for individuals, families, and employers alike.

drug coverage, employee assistance programs, employment law, group insurance, health, health insurance, Insurance coverage, insurance premiums, OHIP, prescription drug coverage, well-being

Health record snooping nets hefty fine

May 23, 2017 Employer Advisor, McCarthy Tétrault LLP Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Privacy and Security, Union Relations

In a recent case out of Goderich, Ontario a $20,000 fine, the highest of its kind in Canada, was handed out for a health privacy violation.

E-Health (Personal Health Information Access and Protection of Privacy) Act, employment law, Grant v Winnipeg Regional Health Authority et al, health, Health Information Act, Health Information Protection Act, health privacy, health privacy violation, Hopkins v Kay, Ladas v Apple, Martin v General Teamsters, Personal Health Information Act, Personal Health Information Protection Act, Personal Information Protection Act, PHIPA, Privacy Act

Tips to prevent the spread of colds and flu in the workplace

November 2, 2011 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Employee Relations, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Human Rights

The cold and flu season is underway and typically runs from November to April each year. The often close quarters of workplaces allow employees to easily spread cold and flu germs. These germs are transferred from person to person and surface to surface indoors. Employers must take preventive measures to fight these germs around your workplace, keep your employees safe and maintain productivity throughout the peak cold and flu season.

Absenteeism, Canadian Coalition for Influenza Immunization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colds and flu in the workplace, employment law, flu, germs, health, health benefit costs, influenza, Influenza Immunization, policy and procedures, sleeve sneeze, workplace hygiene, yearly flu vaccine

Daylight savings time: does it affect employees’ health?

March 4, 2011 Christina Catenacci Health and Safety, Human Resources

Daylight savings time indicates the beginning of spring and increased energy. Turning the clock ahead one hour at this time of year provides more afternoon sunlight for outdoor exercise, which is good for one’s health. The opportunity for increased sunlight has even been linked to decreased symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and depression. But does changing the time have a negative effect on sleep and does this negatively affect employees’ health and productivity?

Daylight savings time, employee productivity, energy, fatigue, health, regular sleeping schedule, sleep, sleeping routine, spring, stress responses, stress to the body, turning the clock ahead, Turning the clock ahead one hour

The health and workplace benefits of team sports

July 22, 2010 Adam Gorley Health and Safety, Human Resources

Team activities, whether organized or informal, offer numerous health benefits—both physical and mental—they can be a perfect fit for enhancing workplace wellness.

fitness, fringe benefits, health, health and safety, health benefits, leadership, Pensions and Benefits, physical health, sport, teamwork, workers compensation, workplace wellness program

The latest on employer health benefits and services

July 5, 2010 Adam Gorley Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits

Last year I dropped the ball on Sanofi-Aventis’ annual health care survey—in fact, it’s still sitting on my desk under a pile of other things! So this year, I’m making it a priority, and getting this brief post on the report to you right away, before I file a more in-depth article for HRinfodesk.

annual health care survey, Benefits administrator, Benefits and allowances, benefits package, benefits plan, costs of health benefits plans, employee engagement, employment law, health, health benefits, health plan, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Sanofi-Aventis

Workplace wellness programs: what are they all about?

July 2, 2010 Christina Catenacci Health and Safety, Human Resources

Typically, wellness means “the condition of good physical and mental health”, but what is a “workplace wellness program”? What are the advantages of having this kind of program, and how does an employer start one up?

benefits package, benefits plan, Corporate fitness plans, disability management, emotional health, employee programs, financial health, fitness, health, health and safety, Pensions and Benefits, physical health, wellness, wellness programs, workplace health, Workplace wellness programs, worksite wellness

Do vacations stress you out?

May 31, 2010 Adam Gorley Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources

Have you ever had a vacation that was just long enough? At the end of a week off, have you ever thought, “That was perfect, and now I can’t wait to get back to work”?

employment law, employment standards, health, Human Resources, scheduling vacation, stress, vacation, vacation entitlement, vacation guilt, workaholics

What will Ontario’s Bill 168 mean for businesses? (Part 1)

September 10, 2009 Adam Gorley Health and Safety, Human Resources

All workplaces house risks to employees’ health and safety in varying degrees: factories have machinery that can cause serious injuries; warehouses store loads and move them around with cumbersome vehicles, both of which have the potential to injure; even office environments are far from risk-free, although the threats tend to be less visible, like poor indoor air quality and ergonomic arrangements. However, only in the last decade or so has the issue of violence in the workplace gained wide recognition—and this is an issue that can affect all workplaces indiscriminately.

Bill 168, domestic violence, health, HR issues, Human Resources, occupational health and safety, OH&S, OHSA, ontario, safety, workplace violence, worplace safety and insurance act, wsib