Do you know your responsibilities when it comes to health and safety? If you don’t, you’re not alone. Owners, managers, and workers across the province think it’s someone else’s job. But it’s not. Every single person in an organization has…
Category: Health and Safety Law
Update: Employer Civil Liability for Workplace Violence, Bullying, or Harassment
In a precedent-setting decision issued in 2017, Justice Vallee of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that an employee named Constable (Cst.) Merrifield was entitled to damages because he was harassed in the workplace by his superiors at the…
PEI’s Eric Donovan Act – What it Could Mean for Ontario Employers
In Ontario, the Human Rights Code (the “Code”) entitles employees to a workplace that is free from harassment, when that harassment is based on an enumerated ground (i.e. a protected characteristic). The Code statutorily mandates that an employer needs to…
Update: Proving “Due Diligence” in Cases Involving Fatalities
In February 2018, we provided an update on an important legal precedent relevant to employers across the province. The article discussed certain charges laid against a construction employer by the name of Cobra Float Services (“Cobra”), and its subsequent attempt…
Changes to Come for Ontario’s Skilled Trades
As many of you know, on November 21, 2018 the Provincial government enacted Bill 47, making a number of sweeping changes to Ontario’s labour and employment-related legislation. Included in those changes were fundamental alterations to the Ontario College of Trades…
4 Topics Ontario Employers Must Provide Training On
Ontario workplaces need to meet certain training requirements to comply with federal and provincial regulations. Though every organization’s training needs are unique, providing training to every worker on these four topics is mandatory for almost every workplace in Ontario: 1.…
Distracted Driving = Distracted Working?
On January 1, 2019, amendments to Ontario’s distracted driving laws significantly increased penalties for convicted motorists. Under the new legislative framework, drivers convicted of distracted driving will mandatorily face license suspension, minimum fines, and demerit points. Distracted Driving on Public…
Bill 47: Status Update
On November 21, 2018, the Progressive Conservative government passed and gave Royal Assent to Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 (“Bill 47”). This legislative change reversed many of the controversial laws introduced by Bill 148 in…
Cannabis and the Workplace: Drug Testing at Work
The legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018, left many employers wondering if they can drug test their employees. Impairment from cannabis use is a safety risk, but for most employers, performing drug tests to manage the risk is…