Human Resources Policies | MacLeod Law Firm

Don’t Let Cannabis Laws Leave You Dazed and Confused

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:03:25 +0000

In October, smoking or ingesting cannabis will be legal in Canada. Does your business have policies and procedures in place to handle this transition? The federal government has passed legislation that will make cannabis legal, giving the provinces power to control how it will be used and sold. This historic change is likely to lead to a significant increase in cannabis consumption.

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Marijuana legalization – How Employers Should Navigate the Hazy Legal Landscape

MacLeod Law Firm — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 15:45:50 +0000

The legalization of marijuana is expected to change Ontario’s employment law landscape in 2018. Legislation is expected to be implemented by July 2018. It is not too early for employers to take proactive steps to address these changes. Expected changes Bill C-45, An Act respecting Cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts (the “Bill”) passed…

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Can my organization implement a drug testing policy at the workplace?

MacLeod Law Firm — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 14:24:17 +0000

If you’ve been following the news over the last few months, you know that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice refused to allow the union’s injunction against the TTC’s random drug and alcohol testing policy. More recently, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the termination of an employee who was terminated for violating his employer’s drug testing policy. These developments have led to us…

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The Number of Workplace Investigations are Skyrocketing: Here’s Why

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 14:24:19 +0000

There are different types of workplace investigations and the number of workplace investigations is skyrocketing. This blog discusses four scenarios where workplace investigations are required or recommended. To reduce legal exposure and save costs, I believe most employers should acquire the internal expertise to conduct workplace investigations Workplace Harassment Complaints Under the Ontario…

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Why Employers Are Finding It Increasingly Difficult to Comply with Ontario’s Employment Laws

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 14:20:33 +0000

Lawyers as Forest Rangers You can compare employment lawyers to forest rangers. We prevent legal fires when we, for example, draft employment contracts & legally required policies, and when we provide prophylactic advice such as pre-termination advice. We put out legal fires when we, for example, defend wrongful dismissal actions, human rights complaints, and claims for overtime pay under the…

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Investigating Workplace Harassment Complaints: Get Ready for Changes to the OHSA

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 11:20:11 +0000

“Bob is harassing me.” Your spidey senses should be tingling. Because some kind of investigation should be taking place soon. If not, consider what happened when an employee at CBC complained about Jian Ghomeshi and was ignored or when an employee at the TO2015 Pan American games complained about David Peterson and her complaint was allegedly not taken seriously. Immediately after you are told…

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How to Get Away with Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace

Doug MacLeod — Thu, 05 May 2016 13:00:09 +0000

The federal government has announced that there will be marijuana legislation in place by next spring, which should fulfill a campaign promise to legalize marijuana. Marijuana would no longer only be legal for medicinal purposes, but also recreationally. Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott has said that “[w]hile this plan challenges the status quo in many countries, we are convinced it is the…

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New Law Requires Employers to Investigate Sexual Harassment Complaints. Has Your Organization Complied with This Law?

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 13:39:24 +0000

By September 8, 2016 – less than 6 months from now – Ontario employers must comply with Schedule 4 of the recently proclaimed Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act (Supporting Survivors and Challenging Sexual Violence and Harassment), 2015, which imposes new requirements on how employers deal with sexual harassment complaints. Schedule 4, among other things, requires an employer to…

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Common Employment Law Issues

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 13:38:25 +0000

I speak with human resources professionals every day about various employment law issues. This blog deals with five of the most common issues that arise in my practice. Termination Pay In many organizations, labour costs often account for more than 50% of the cost of doing business. Reducing head count is one way to reduce labour costs. I am often asked how to minimize the termination costs…

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More obligations under AODA Take Effect on January 1, 2016: Is your Organization Compliant Yet?

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 14:28:51 +0000

More changes under AODA Take Effect on January 1, 2016: Is your Organization Compliant Yet? By January 1, 2016 – about 3 months from now – Ontario employers with 50 or more employees must comply with the Employment Standard Regulation (“The Regulation”) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”). The Regulation imposes 11 new obligations on employers. The MacLeod Law Firm…

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