Category: HR Resources
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UPDATED: Federal Employers Will be Busy Responding to New Employment Laws
Over the last few years, the federal government has made a number of changes to employment laws that are aimed at enhancing the rights of employees at federally-regulated workplaces. These include laws governing everything from workplace harassment to pay equity to accessibility. And the government is not done yet – even more changes are on the horizon!
So, if you are a federal employer (e.g., bank, airline, shipping, interprovincial trucking), there are numerous new requirements that you should be addressing now or preparing for in the future.
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Personal Liability of Directors for Non-Compliance
Personal liability of directors under employment legislation is a real risk. Directors and officers can be personally liable for compliance in some cases – including being personally liable to pay amounts owing to employees, being charged for offences related to non-compliance and being subject to penalties and fines, or even imprisonment. This liability can be significant – if you are a director of a corporation (whether its for-profit or non-profit), you need to understand your potential liability.
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UPDATED: Ontario COVID-19 Checklist – What Requirements Apply to Your Workplace?
As Ontario emerges from its (latest) province-wide shutdown, many employers may again be considering the province’s requirements for re-opening their workplaces. Below is a quick checklist of what every employer must know. For further details, see the Ontario COVID-19 report in our Knowledge Centre.
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What Does Québec’s French Language Bill Mean for Employers?
Québec has introduced amendments to the Charter of the French language to increase the use of French. This includes amendments to strengthen French as the language of work. If passed, this legislation will impose additional requirements on employers. Here’s what you need to know if you have employees in Québec.
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UPDATED: Which Provinces Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination Leave?
As Canada’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccines finally picks up steam, several provinces have taken steps to increase accessibility – including adding new COVID-19 vaccination leaves of absence. These leaves enable workers to take time off from work (with pay) to get their shot.
So, which provinces require employers to provide paid COVID-19 vaccination leave? More »
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Has Remote Work Made You A Multi-Jurisdictional Employer?
COVID-19 has changed the way we work, and for many of us, WHERE we work. And it looks like that change may be here to stay. More and more employers have announced that they intend to maintain a remote workforce, at least to some degree. And a recent survey by Robert Half found that 33% of employees would quit their job if they are forced to return to the office. So what does this mean for employers?
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UPDATED: New Alberta Health and Safety Act
In December, Alberta passed a new Occupational Health and Safety Act (the New Act), which will replace the current Act in its entirety. The government has indicated that the New Act will come into force on September 1, 2021, but this is yet to be confirmed with an official proclamation.
Last week, Alberta announced that it will be seeking ideas to improve and update the Occupational Health & Safety Code (OHS Code). This means that there are more changes coming! These changes may include adding certain requirements to the OHS Code, which have been removed from the New Act (see below). If you want to provide input, you can do so through an online survey that is open until May 10, 2021.
In the meantime, Alberta employers will want to start getting ready for the New Act, which covers everything from workplace accidents to health and safety committees to refusing work.
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COVID-19 & Accessibility: Checklist for an Accessible Return to the Workplace
The pandemic has exacerbated many barriers for persons with disabilities. And with employers focusing on COVID-19 health and safety, some may have forgotten about accessibility.
Accessible Standards Canada (ASC) published resources on accessible practices for returning to the workplace. While ASC is charged with developing accessibility standards for federally regulated workplaces, these tips may help any Canadian employer who must ensure a safe and accessible return to the workplace during the pandemic.
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5 Examples That Show Why HR Compliance is Hard
HR compliance is hard. In our post about employment class actions, we wrote that “most violations of [employment standards] resulted from unintentional misunderstandings of the requirements of complex laws and regulations”. To demonstrate that point, we thought we’d share a few examples. These examples are either laws that are written in a way that makes them hard to understand, or they are requirements that are just hard to find. It is these issues – the way that these laws are written and organized – that makes HR compliance hard.
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Class Actions – The Risks of Non-Compliance with Employment Standards
Class actions are a risk for every employer if you are not in compliance with employment standards legislation. While the answer to avoiding liability may seem easy (just comply!) its not always that straight-forward. Compliance is time consuming and it is complicated.