Author(s):
Melanie Simon, Jason Hanson
Mar 9, 2018
Employers in Ontario need to be cognizant of the legal and regulatory framework in which they must operate. Most employers in Ontario are covered by provincial legislation (although some are covered by federal legislation), and there is no at-will employment in Canada.
In the Ontario section of an article published in Lexology Navigator: Employment and Labour 2018, authors Jason Hanson, Chair of Osler’s Employment and Labour Group, and associates Steven Dickie and Melanie Simon outline key considerations for Ontario employers, including the following:
- coverage of legislation (provincial or federal) as determined by the nature of the employer’s business
- Canada’s no at-will employment
- limitations on the ability to terminate employment
- gender-based pay equity legislation and equal pay for part-time, temporary and casual employees
- key developments in employment and labour law including whistleblower protections and recent major legislation changes
- emerging trends including marijuana legalization, contractual termination clauses and privacy
- Ontario statutes governing employment including the Employment Standards Act 2000
- employment contracts and employee/contractor misclassification
- hiring process, including job advertisements and background checks
- wages, hours, overtime and payroll
- discrimination and harassment
- family and medical leave
- trade secrets, restrictive covenants and intellectual property
- labour relations including unions and layoffs
- discipline and termination
Find out more detailed information about Ontario’s labour laws.
Lexology Navigator is a comparative global Q&A guide designed to provide business professionals with updates and analysis from today’s leading lawyers.