Privacy
Privacy in Canada is protected by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Department of Justice. Provinces that have essentially similar legislation are exempt from the federal legislation, as employers in those provinces are covered by their provincial legislation. At the time of this writing, Ontario does not have similar legislation. The Act applies to “every organization in respect of personal information that the organization collects, uses or discloses in the course of commercial activities” or...
Read MoreWorkers’ Compensation (WSIB)
https://workplacenl.ca/ Workers’ Compensation in Ontario is managed by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Provincially-regulated employers in Ontario are required to register with the Board and to pay a monthly premium based on the company’s size and industry. If an employee is injured or suffers an illness at work, such that (s)he requires medical attention or loses pay, the employer is required to report the accident or incident to the WSIB within three calendar days of learning of the event. The WSIB provides employees who are injured at work with benefits that...
Read MoreWHMIS
WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. This Health Canada legislation applies to businesses in Ontario, where it is administered by the Ontario Ministry of Labour. WHMIS provides rules and regulations for identifying, storing, and working with hazardous materials in the workplace. The three main requirements of WHMIS are: · ensuring there are labels on containers of hazardous materials · maintaining current copies of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to provide detailed hazard and precautionary information · providing worker education...
Read MorePay Equity
A provincially-regulated business that employs ten (10) or more employees in Ontario is required to comply with Ontario’s Pay Equity Act. Pay Equity legislation is designed to “redress systemic gender discrimination in compensation for work performed by employees in female job classes.” Pay Equity goes above “equal pay for equal work” and requires “equal pay for work of equal value.” This means evaluating the work of jobs held primarily by females, and those held predominantly by males. The jobs are to be compared on the basis of: · skill, · effort · responsibility...
Read MoreOccupational Health and Safety
Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to maintain a safe workplace, provide the necessary training (including First Aid training), safety equipment and clothing, appoint competent supervisors, and develop a health and safety policy. Depending on the size of the organization, the Act may require a Health and Safety Representative, or a Joint Health and Safety Committee. Copies of the Act and a safety poster must be displayed in the workplace. Workers have the right to be involved in ensuring a safe workplace, and they have the right to refuse unsafe work. ...
Read MoreHuman Rights
The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination and harassment in employment on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability. Discrimination can be direct, or systemic. Systemic discrimination occurs when a rule or requirement that seems to be fair to all, inadvertently excludes someone in a designated group. For example, the requirement for all police officers to wear standard head-gear created an environment that excluded some people from working as police officers,...
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