Alberta dropping COVID-19 restrictions – considerations for employers
Alberta to lift COVID-19 restrictions The Government of Alberta recently announced a staged plan to loosen public health restrictions that were implemented in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Stage One took effect February 8th and removed the...
Collective bargaining in 2022
While truly an understatement, over the last two years society has undergone significant change. We have rising inflation. We have seen COVID-19’s transformational effects on public health, the economy and the workplace. We have a growing understanding of mental well-being...
Another vaccination policy is upheld in arbitration
Bunge Hamilton Canada (“Bunge”) operates a processing facility in Hamilton. Its facility had two sites separated by a roadway; one was owned by Bunge and the other was leased from the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (“HOPA”). Under federal Transport Canada...
Michael Cleveland quoted in Global News segment on vaccine mandates
Global News, "No ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution when it comes to vaccine mandates at work: experts"
Michael Cleveland was quoted in this segment on vaccine mandates at work: A series of recent decisions has shown labour arbitrators are considering the specifics of each workplace and policy in determining whether the mandates can be imposed in a...
Government extends mandatory vaccination obligations to more federally-regulated employers
Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan Jr., has announced the Federal Government’s intention to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for almost all federally regulated workplaces. These workplaces include, amongst others, banks, interprovincial road transportation, postal and courier services, radio and television broadcasting,...
Changes coming to Ontario employment laws
On December 2, 2021, the Working for Workers Act, 2021 (the “Act”) received Royal Assent and came into force as law. As discussed in our previous communique, the Act will amend a number of statutes, including the Employment Standards Act,...
Ontario Government further extends paid IDEL and deemed IDEL provisions
On December 7, 2021, the Ontario Government announced the extension of the Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit Program (“WIPB”) through to July 31, 2022. This program requires employers to provide employees with up to three days of paid infectious...
Government of Canada announces 10 days paid sick leave for federally-regulated workers
On November 26, 2021, the Government of Canada introduced legislation that will amend the Canada Labour Code to provide ten days of paid sick leave per year to workers in the federally-regulated private sector. The Government of Canada has expressed...
Paid sick leave is coming to BC on January 1, 2022
Beginning on January 1, 2022, workers in BC will be automatically entitled to a minimum of five paid sick days each calendar year. With this move, BC becomes the first province in Canada to legislate this level of paid time...
When are COVID-19 vaccination policies enforceable in unionized workplaces? A review of recent arbitration awards
In two decisions released last week, labour arbitrators ruled upon the enforceability of workplace COVID-19 vaccination policies. In one decision,[1] the arbitrator upheld the employer’s policy as reasonable. In another,[2] an employer’s vaccination policy was found to be unreasonable. These...
