Learn about pay equity obligations for Ontario employers under the Pay Equity Act, including equal pay for work of equal value, applicable exemptions, and consequences for non-compliance.
Continue Reading Equal Pay for Equal Work – Everything You Need to Know About Pay Equity in Your Workplace
The Education Worker Strike: A Primer on Constitutionally-Protected Labour Laws
An Unprecedented Legislative Move
This week, Bill 28 was repealed and the collective bargaining model in Ontario stands. Why was it such a big legal deal?
The recent strike by education workers in Ontario made headlines for reasons beyond the usual disruption to parents’ and kids’ everyday lives. On October 30, 2022, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in Ontario gave notice to the province that the education workers it represents would strike in 5 days.
On November 3, the province responded by introducing Bill 28, which enacted the Keeping Students in Class Act, 2022, unilaterally imposing a new collective agreement, outlawing the impending strike, and invoking the “notwithstanding clause” in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to do so. This type of legislation is unprecedented.
Continue Reading The Education Worker Strike: A Primer on Constitutionally-Protected Labour Laws
Lessons in Managing an Aging Workforce: Terminations
It has been only a few weeks since Lisa LaFlamme, CTV National News’ former chief anchor and senior editor, shared on Twitter that Bell Media terminated her contract after over 30 years with the company. Her termination has since made international news due to allegations of age and gender discrimination. The company’s Vice President has announced a leave of absence and other employees have publicly raised concerns about a toxic work environment.
Age discrimination is likely to become a more common allegation against employers given the general demographics of our workforce. The proportion of working-age people in Canada who are between the ages of 55 and 64 is at an all-time high of 21.8%.
Continue Reading Lessons in Managing an Aging Workforce: Terminations
Free webinar: Barriers & Biases – Supporting Women Leaders
In this webinar, SpringLaw’s Lisa Stam and Danielle Murray will discuss how you can support women leaders in the workplace, common challenges women leaders face, and how employers can ensure equitable exits if needed.
Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Time: 10:30-11:00 am EST
Register today: Click here!Continue Reading Free webinar: Barriers & Biases – Supporting Women Leaders
The Deaths of George Floyd & Regis Korchinski-Paquet
Outraged protesters took to the streets across the US to demonstrate against the unnecessary loss of life and the complete lack of empathy shown by police officers for a Black man pleading to hold on to his life. George Floyd’s death could have been prevented if there were stricter policies limiting police use of force in Minneapolis. In Minneapolis police are allowed to use chokeholds and that’s how George Floyd was killed. A 30-year study examining police use of force shows that a ban on chokeholds and strangleholds results in 22% fewer police killings.
Continue Reading The Deaths of George Floyd & Regis Korchinski-Paquet
Delay in Pay Transparency
Throughout the year we have been blogging on the progress of Bill 203, Ontario’s Pay Transparency Act, 2018 (the Act). Check out our posts discussing the Act here and here. As of our last post in May 2018, this Act was set to come into force on January 1, 2019. Well, in
Equal Pay for Midwives
The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal (HRTO) released an interim decision on September 24, 2018 in the application of the Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOH). The AOM brought an application to the HRTO alleging discrimination on the basis of gender in their compensation by the MOH.