Human Rights

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Grounds and Areas of Protection Under Ontario’s Human Rights Code — Including Contractual Protections

Ontario’s Human Rights Code (the “Code”) protects people from discrimination and harassment in specific areas of public life based on personal characteristics, known as “grounds.” The settings where these protections apply are called “areas.”

Knowing these protections—and how they extend to…

  • Ontario – from $17.20 to $17.60
…

Expanding into Canada? Compare Employer of Record (EOR), Professional Employer Organization (PEO), and staffing agencies. Learn which model best fits your hiring, compliance, and payroll needs.
Continue Reading Choosing the Right Employer Service Model in Canada: PEOs vs EORs vs Staffing Agencies

Since the amendment of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) in 2022, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees as of Jan 1 are legally required to implement a written “disconnecting from work” policy. On paper, it sounds like a big shift. In reality, these policies do little for an already flexible or metrics-driven workforce that has moved beyond the traditional Mon-Fri or 9-5 dynamic. 

If your business already operates with a flexible, remote or asynchronous model, you might be wondering: Do we still need a formal disconnect policy? Continue Reading Your Workplace May Be Flexible, But Your Disconnecting Policy Obligations Are Not

When we meet with employers regarding a needed change or a tough new situation at work, we often find that mention of constructive dismissal can really catch employers off guard. When it comes to constructive dismissal, there’s no termination meeting or official decision by the employer, but the law can still treat the situation as if the employee was fired.

Substantial changes to a job, or a work environment that becomes so bad, the employee feels they have no reasonable choice but to leave, can trigger a constructive dismissal. Ultimately, constructive dismissal creates the same obligations for the employer as a termination, including paying termination pay, severance, and possibly damages to the employee. Continue Reading Oops, You Might’ve Fired Them: A Constructive Dismissal Reality Check

It’s 2025, and clients are using AI tools like ChatGPT in their legal matters. If you’re an HR professional or run a business, maybe you’ve seen a team member pull up ChatGPT to write a demand letter or question your workplace policies. Or maybe you’ve tried it yourself: “Can I fire someone for this?” or “Is this harassment under Ontario law?”

These tools aren’t going away. Just like WebMD changed how patients interact with doctors, ChatGPT is shifting the lawyer-client relationship. That can be a good thing, with the right boundaries.Continue Reading When Clients Use ChatGPT for Legal Advice

Hiring and terminating employees are two of the most critical decisions an employer can make. These moments define workplace culture, shape legal risk, and directly affect an organization’s reputation.

Unfortunately, they are also common sources of human rights complaints under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Whether due to a lack of awareness or rushed processes, employers often make avoidable mistakes that can lead to costly disputes. A proactive approach rooted in fairness and compliance can go a long way toward reducing liability.Continue Reading Avoiding Discrimination Claims: The Employer’s Guide to Compliant Hiring and Terminations

Unlimited Vacation sounds great in theory – employees take time when they need it, the administrative burden of ‘counting days’ is alleviated, the ‘use it or lose it’ drama disappears,  and employers are able to avoid the “helicopter parenting” style of monitoring an employee’s vacation entitlements. 

The Unlimited Vacation perk has become increasingly popular with the rise of burnout recognition, a greater understanding of the value of ‘mental health days’,  and a less rigid take on the typical 9 to 5. It’s trendy too: In 2024, 26% of tech companies offered Unlimited Vacation (versus 15% total market)1

Before you start deleting any vacation request forms from your HR drive, consider this: in Ontario (and across Canada), Unlimited Vacation policies may create more problems than they solve, especially if they’re not drafted carefully or maintained properly. Continue Reading Unlimited Vacation: Dream or Drama?

Happy Canada Day! As we celebrate everything that makes Canada both great and unique (personally as food lovers we’d like to mention poutine and butter tarts) we can’t help (because we’re lawyers) but reflect on what makes Canadian employment law so uniquely…Canadian.

Whether you’re running a business in Canada, or supporting HR for one, it helps to understand how our workplace laws differ from other countries, especially our neighbors to the south, and how new rules like updates to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (“ESA”) effective July 1, 2025) continue to shape our employer obligations.

Let’s break it down.Continue Reading Oh Canada, Oh Compliance: What Employers Need to Know About Our Unique Canadian Workplace Laws

The AI revolution has begun

AI is changing how work is done, and people are taking notice.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 22% of employees in the U.S. are concerned that they will lose their jobs to generative AI. Four years ago, it was 15%.

Globally, AI is expected to transform the workforce by 2050. Experts estimate that up to 60% of current jobs will require significant adaptation due to AI, and Goldman Sachs predicts that up to 50% of jobs could be fully automated by 2045.Continue Reading How to Future-Proof Your Workforce for the AI Revolution