Category: Workplace Policies

There are new rules and guidelines for preventing workplace harassment and violence. Here are two good resources to help keep you up-to-date.

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New Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Rules for Federally-Regulated Employers

The Government of Canada has published significant changes to the workplace harassment and violence provisions of the Canada Labour Code (the “Code”).

Read the full article on Lexology

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Bill C-65 and the prevention of harassment and violence

2020 was supposed to be the year that Bill C-65, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence)¹ came into force.

Read the full article on Lexology

As many employees are returning to on-location work lately, we wanted to share two helpful resources on workplace safety guides through COVID-19.

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COVID-19 Return-to-Work Checklist from a Canadian Employment Law Perspective

As workplaces across Canada begin to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a number of considerations for employers and employees. Regard must be had to compliance with federal and provincial occupational safety and health legislation (“OSHA”) and return to work guidelines.

Read the full article on JD Supra

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COVID-19 Safety Plan

Use this template to document how your organization will keep workers and other people safe at your workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. How to develop your COVID-19 safety plan: A guide for Ontario workplaces explains what you should think about and gives examples to help you come up with your plan.

Download the full free WordDoc from the Ontario Government

Did you know that a single incident of sexual harassment can be grounds for dismissal? It’s true, even for long-standing employees with otherwise clean records.

According to Canadian law firm Cassels:

The threshold for establishing just cause for dismissal is high. Courts consider a dismissal for just cause to be tantamount to “capital punishment” in employment law. Accordingly, the courts generally have been hesitant to uphold dismissals for just cause where an employee has long service and an otherwise clean disciplinary record.

“SINGLE INCIDENT OF WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT CAN BE JUST CAUSE FOR DISMISSAL” – Cassels website

The takeaway for employers is to be proactive about preventing issues from developing in the first place. Specifically:

• Putting in place a workplace harassment policy
• Training employees on that policy
• Making sure employees understand the importance of the policy