Ontario Health & Safety Act | MacLeod Law Firm

Where there’s a will, there’s a bill: Ontario’s proposed Sexual Harassment Law

Doug MacLeod — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 15:22:50 +0000

Where there’s a will, there’s a bill: Ontario’s proposed Sexual Harassment Law On October 27, 2015, the Ontario government tabled its Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act (“Bill 132”) which, among other things, amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act. (“OHSA”). Bill 132 must receive second and third reading and proclamation before it becomes law. Given the fact the Liberal…

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OHSA Update: The Cost of Firing an Employee for Filing a Complaint with the Ministry of Labour Just Went Up

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 06:24:55 +0000

Each year in Ontario, over 10,000 workers file a claim with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) because they’ve been injured on the job to the extent that they cannot return to work the day after the injury. So, employers be wary: workplace accidents are very common and you can incur large costs if they are not handled appropriately. As we will see below, these costs are on the rise.

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Constructive Dismissal Update: Quitting Because of Intolerable Working Conditions

Doug MacLeod — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 05:50:06 +0000

If an employer’s treatment of an employee is so bad that it makes continued employment intolerable, an employee has the right to quit and claim damages for constructive dismissal. Is there a clear dividing line between intolerable and tolerable behaviour? Between a poisoned work environment and a healthy one? The short answer: no. What is a Poisoned Workplace? An employer who creates intolerable…

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Occupational Health and Safety Update: Chief Prevention Officer Issues Annual Report

Doug MacLeod — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 21:46:30 +0000

On October 30, 2014 Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer submitted the “Occupational Health and Safety in Ontario: 2013-14 Annual Report” to the Ontario Minister of Labour. This Annual Report includes the following information: Size of the Ontario Workforce In 2013, 6.88 million workers were employed in Ontario. Over the last four years, employment has increased at an average annual rate of 1.43…

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Employer Update: Ontario Government Announces New Employer Laws

Doug MacLeod — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:55:23 +0000

Important update for employers – on November 6, 2014, Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014 received third reading at the Ontario legislature. When Bill 18 receives Royal Assent several significant changes will take effect that will benefit employees. Here are 5 of these changes: 1. Minimum wage. Starting October 1, 2015, the minimum wage will increase each year in an…

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Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA): Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask

MacLeod Law Firm — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 14:38:42 +0000

Mandatory health and safety awareness training is the latest obligation being imposed on Ontario employers under OHSA. All employees must complete training by July 1, 2014. The Ministry of Labour will exempt employers who have already provided equivalent training to its employees. For more information on this new training requirement, click here. Under Bill 168, a 2010 amendment to OHSA…

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Workplace accidents: Whose fault are they?

MacLeod Law Firm — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:30:18 +0000

Workplace accidents – Five things to keep in mind when they occur When a workplace injury occurs, the Ministry of Labour (MOL) decides whether to lay charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). If convicted of a charge, an employer can be ordered to pay a fine of up to $ 500, 000 plus a 25% victim surcharge. If you want to know your obligations under OHSA, sign up for our seminar…

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Employment Laws in Ontario: MacLeod Law Firm, Employment & Labour Lawyers: Recap of Recent Blogs

MacLeod Law Firm — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:49:15 +0000

Employment laws in Ontario are changing. Our blogs (i) explain how statute laws impose rights and obligations on employers; (ii) explain why terminating certain types of employees can attract more liability than others; (iii) identify proactive measures that an organization can take to reduce the legal exposure associated with its workforce; (iv) dispel common misconceptions about employer rights…

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