Vaccines are critical to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. But widespread misinformation about the vaccines has added to the challenge of immunizing as many people as possible against the deadly virus. To provide a safe workplace for your staff and customers, you should encourage vaccinations. However, in doing so, you are likely to encounter vaccine misinformation,...
Human rights accommodation in the workplace has been a major topic of late. Besides standard accommodation requests, businesses have been grappling with granting accommodations based on the COVID-19 vaccine. This blog discusses two protected grounds under human rights legislation in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. In addition to the rules around standard workplace accommodation, we...
Many workplaces have policies in place on what is, and what isn’t, appropriate business attire. Certain workplaces such as law firms and banks implement dress codes to ensure their staff look professional for clients. Other businesses like restaurants and retail shops may have a dress code policy that requires staff to wear uniforms while at...
*This blog was updated on December 10, 2021. If you don’t already have one in place, now may be a good time to create a vaccination policy for your workplace. Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health has strongly recommended that city employers develop a vaccination policy to protect their staff and the public. According to Regulation...
A major element of employment law is the difference between federally and provincially regulated employers and their staff. What does the Constitution say? Sections 91 and 92 of the Constitution Act, 1867, divide powers between the federal and provincial jurisdictions. Section 91 states the “Powers of the Parliament,” or federal government. It is comprised of...
Rather than focus on the concept of equal pay for equal work, the new federal Pay Equity Act (the “Act”) centers around the concept of “pay equity.” The Act was first established in December 2018. It is set to finally come into force on August 31, 2021. When the Act comes into effect, it will...
*This blog was updated on February 4, 2022. British Columbia passed its Employment Standards Amendment Act (Bill 8) on May 30, 2019. However, not all its provisions came into force at that time. This blog provides details on the additional amendments that came into effect on August 15, 2021, and October 15, 2021, respectively. The...
As workplaces reopen, a major challenge employers face is managing a staff of mixed vaccination status. Some employees may have concerns about daily contact with their unvaccinated coworkers. Others may worry they’ll be judged or stigmatized for their choice or inability to receive the vaccine. It is important that you understand your obligations in this...
On May 25, 2021, British Columbia announced their four-step province wide reopening plan entitled ‘BC’s Restart’. BC’s reopening plan entered its first step on the same day it was announced. The province will progress through the steps based on increasing vaccination rates, and declining COVID-19 case counts, hospitalizations, and deaths. BC has also extended the...
On April 19, 2021, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland delivered Canada’s 2021 federal budget. The budget provides more supports for small to mid-sized businesses that have struggled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With over $100 billion in new spending, the budget will aid in bringing some economic recovery for the country. This...
