Trans rights have been in the news a lot lately. During his eventful tenure, President Trump has eroded existing protections for transgender individuals in the United States. This winter he removed protections for transgender students in public schools that allowed them to use the bathroom of their gender expression, and not their physical sex. At
PHIPA Fines in the Workplace
This spring the largest penalty to date was issued under Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (“PHIPA”). A social work student was convicted of accessing personal health information without authorization, and ordered pay a $20,000 fine and a $5,000 victim fine surcharge after pleading guilty to
Pot in the Workplace
Marijuana has been legal for medical use since 1999. As you undoubtedly know, the Trudeau government has tabled legislation that would expand legal use to the recreational sphere. Employers need to be prepared for how the potential legalization of recreational marijuana will impact the
Employee Engagement in the Modern Workplace
I regularly speak on the issues of employment and human rights law, but it turns out that lawyers really do end up with a warped view of the world.
Yesterday I spoke on a panel of HR and people-management thought leaders: David D’Souza, Anna Petosa
Ontario Employment Law Reform on Horizon
The Ontario government has been reviewing employment laws and labour standards in Ontario, the first such major review since the mid-1990s. A package of reforms is expected to be released next week. “Changing Workplaces” has been a two-year review, headed by outside experts Michael
Workplace Instant Messages: Information Overload
We all know that social media, electronic communications and the online world has changed how we interact socially. Who has the patience to leave a voice message for a friend about a restaurant meeting place, let alone listen to one? That’s what instant messaging (IM) is
Employment Standards FYI – Rest Periods
This post is a quick primer on the subject of hours of work and rest periods for provincially regulated employees in Ontario.
The Ontario Employment Standards Act (“ESA”) has several rules regarding hours of work for employees, including permitted length of shift, time off between shifts and time off during a work week. See my
Employment Standards FYI – Breaks
This post is a quick primer on hours of work and eating periods.
The Ontario Employment Standards Act (“ESA”) requires that employees be given a meal break of at least 30 minutes within each five consecutive work hours. The ESA builds some flexibility into this, as
New AODA Requirements Effective January 1, 2017
As of January 1, 2017, several new requirements have taken effect under the disability law regime in Ontario. The Integrated Accessibility Standards (IAS) made under the Accessibility of Ontarians with a Disability Act (AODA) sets out a comprehensive framework for business in Ontario to ensure the accessibility for employees and customers.
Since 2012, employers have
2017 Resolutions and Fresh Starts
January is a month of resolutions, fresh starts, and goals. It’s also a good time to run away from 2016 and the upsets and surprises the year rolled out.
Here are 3 lessons that 2016 taught us as we all dig in to a new year