With the passing of Bill C-45, Canada will become the first G7 country to fully legalize recreational use of cannabis on October 17, 2018.  The medical cannabis market has existed for about 5 years already, but legalized use of recreational cannabis is what is of most concern to employers, especially those with safety-sensitive workplaces. Before

Bill 148 has made significant changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000, and the Occupational Health & Safety Act of Ontario. From November 27, 2017, Bill 148 introduced: A new ban against the misclassification of employees – aimed particularly at those employees misclassified as independent contractors. The Bill places the onus on the employer to

On May 30, 2017, the Ontario government announced its intention to amend the Employment Standards Act with The Fair Workplaces, Better Job Act, 2017.  Some of the major changes proposed are as follows: Minimum Wage Increases beginning on January 1, 2018 at $14.00 per hour and then $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2019.  Currently the minimum

To ensure that workers are aware of their rights, employers in Ontario are required by law to post certain documents in the workplace.  These documents need to be posted in a place where workers will be most likely to see it.  Many employers post these documents on a bulletin board in a common employee area

In moving towards a more accessible Ontario, the Employment Standard of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, requires that employers make their employment practices accessible for employees and job applicants with disabilities. Organizations with 1 – 49 employees had to complete four requirements by January 1, 2017.  The four requirements include the following

Bill 132, the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act, received Royal Assent and will be in effect as of September 8, 2016. This Bill will amend various existing statutes with respect to sexual harassment and sexual violence.  Most important for employers to note, are the amendments to the Occupational Health & Safety Act which