The Federal Government recently announced cuts to special rules that provided pregnancy, parental and compassionate care Employment Insurance benefits to temporary foreign workers. The cuts took effect on December 9th, 2012 and are expected to immediately affect approximately 1,900 temporary foreign workers. Temporary foreign workers are provided work permits which describe both the time period…
You may have heard about so-called “right to work” legislation. I certainly have. Everywhere I go I am hearing about the encroachment of “right to work” legislation and how this monster is creeping north, soon to cross into Canada. So, what exactly is “right to work” legislation and what is happening south of the border?…
When a worker suffers a compensable workplace accident, the level of benefits he or she receives under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (“WSIA”) depends on a calculation of the worker’s “average earnings”. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”) determines average earnings by taking into account a number of factors set out under…
One key recommendation of the Dean Panel, which diligent readers will recall from the 80 page report and 46 recommendations released December 2010, was proposed mandatory OHS training for a number of workplace parties. Dean’s recommendations to reform Ontario’s OHS system raised the concern that health and safety representatives, workers and supervisors are not adequately…
In Davies v. Honda of Canada Mfg, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (“OLRB”) recently clarified what will not constitute acts of reprisal under s. 50 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”). An employee complained that he was not returned to work safely and consequently, faced a loss of work and income. The employee…