Canadian Employment Law

Articles about labour legislation and related legal updates

Ontario Family Caregivers Bill
April 30 2014 - Bill 21, the Employment Standards Amendments Act (Leaves to Help Families), 2014, passed its third reading in the Ontario legislature with all party support.

Nova Scotia Minimum Wage
April 1 2014 - On April 1, Nova Scotia's minimum wage rose by 10 cents, to $10.40 an hour.

Manitoba Minimum Wage
December 3 2012 - Manitoba intends to eliminate an exemption allowing employees with disabilities to be paid less than the minimum wage.

Saskatchewan Minimum Wage
December 1 2012 - Saskatchewan's minimum wage increased to $10.00 per hour on December 1, 2012 - up from the previous rate of $9.50 per hour.

New Brunswick Minimum Wage
April 1 2012 - The New Brunswick minimum wage increased by 50 cents to $10 per hour on Sunday, April 1 2012.

Manitoba Extends Workers Compensation Coverage
August 28 2008 - The number of industries covered by the Manitoba Workers Compensation Board will be increased from January 1, 2009.

Manitoba - Further Protection For Whistleblowers
October 4, 2007 - The second stage of the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act covering employees reporting wrongdoings in the public service is now in effect.

Human Rights Protection For First Nations
July 26 2007 - The new Canadian government intends to move two amendments to Bill C-44 that calls for the repeal of section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. This has prevented First Nations, mainly living on reserves, from full protection under an Act that has been in force for 30 years.

News Release - Lear Corporation Canada Ltd. fined $125,000 for health and safety violation (May 23 2006)

News Release - (Ontario) Government Enhancing Protection For Workers In Confined Spaces (May 19 2006)

News Release - Countdown to a Smoke-Free Ontario (May 1 2006)

News Release - CFIB: WSIB Mandatory coverage "an attack on small construction firms" (March 28 2006)

Ontario Government Should Pay Attention to Workplace Violence
March 9 2006 - One of the largest unions in Ontario has asked for workplace violence to be covered by the province's health and safety legislation.

New Confined Spaces Regulation (Ontario)
January 25 2006 - The Ontario Ministry of Labour has updated and amended the confined space requirements in the existing Industrial, Construction, Health Care and Mining Regulations to develop a separate, stand-alone Confined Spaces Regulation

Amendments to Workers Compensation Act come into effect in Manitoba
January 5 2006 - Amendments intended to improve benefits, increase prevention, and strengthen accountability and governance measures came into effect January 1 2006.

Health and Safety Guidelines for Computer Operators
September 15 2005 - The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Occupational Health and Safety Division has prepared a Health and Safety guideline for computer operators.

New Anti-Smoking Bill Targets Workplaces and Public Spaces
August 2 2005 - (Quebec) On June 17, 2005, Bill 112 received Royal Assent and will come into force on May 31, 2006 with exceptions. Employers should start developing an agenda for effective compliance with the new requirements.

Restrictions on the Employment of Minors
July 6 2005 - (Alberta) Additional guidelines regarding hiring of employees between the ages of 12 to 14 in the Food and Restaurant industry

Amendments to Labour Relations Act Receives Royal Assent
June 16 2005 - (Ontario) Bill 144 was passed on the last day of the Parliamentary session, and was the focus of harsh criticism from the labour movement.

Legislation to Ban Mandatory Retirement Introduced
June 16 2005 - (Ontario) When enacted, the legislation will reverse workplace policies and collective agreements that allow businesses and unions to discriminate against older employees and force them to leave their jobs when they turn 65.

Province Wide Smoking Ban Adopted
June 16 2005 - (Ontario) The new legislation establishes a province-wide smoking ban in all enclosed public places in Ontario, including workplaces.

Saskatchewan - Proposed Amendments to the Trade Union Act Passed
May 31 2005 - Employees and employers now have a mechanism to ensure first collective greements are settled in a timely fashion.

Saskatchewan - Improved Whistleblower Protection Passed
May 31 2005 - Employees who report wrongdoing now have even stronger protection following amendments to the Labour Standards Act introduced by the Saskatchewan government on November 19, 2004.