Hot Off the Press – Changing Workplaces Final Report Released
Ontario Ministry of Labour Kevin Flynn released the Final Report of The Changing Workplaces Review yesterday. This 419-page report contains 173 recommendations that, if implemented, could have far-reaching implications on Ontario workplaces. In terms of changes to basic employment standards, some of the highlights of the recommendations include: Part-time, casual, temporary, seasonal and contract employees...
Continue reading the post titled Hot Off the Press – Changing Workplaces Final Report ReleasedSpecies at Risk
The Environmental Commissioner, Gord Miller, has released a special report on Species at Risk. It’s an excellent, thorough and balanced report, with a comprehensive overview of the challenges ahead. He gives the province fair credit for adopting the Species at Risk Act, 2007, but notes the huge gap between its promises and effective action. The...
Continue reading the post titled Species at RiskAbsenteeism: When Is It Enough to Warrant Termination?
This issue was addressed in the recent arbitral decision of Humber River Hospital v. Teamsters, 2014 CanLII 50008 (ON LA), where the grievor was employed in the Dietary Department of the hospital and had been for fifteen years. The grievor had a persistent pattern of frequent and unexpected short-term absences. The grievor attributed the majority...
Continue reading the post titled Absenteeism: When Is It Enough to Warrant Termination?Unionizing Franchise Locations Could Become Easier Under Proposed Changes to Ontario Law
The Ontario Changing Workplaces Review has now issued its Final Report, and there’s good news and bad news for franchisors. First, the good news: as we outlined in February, there were concerns that the Final Report would call for expanding the situations where franchisors would be considered the employers of a franchisee’s employees under Ontario’s...
Continue reading the post titled Unionizing Franchise Locations Could Become Easier Under Proposed Changes to Ontario LawKeep your ‘Secret Sauce’ secret: protecting confidential information in commercial relationships and transactions
When businesses negotiate potential transactions or contracts, or discuss opportunities to collaborate on a project or venture, it is likely that one or more of the parties will be sharing information that is non-public and confidential in nature.1 Maybe your business doesn’t have a ‘secret sauce’, but you may wish to protect the confidentiality of...
Continue reading the post titled Keep your ‘Secret Sauce’ secret: protecting confidential information in commercial relationships and transactionsDrinking water and "contamination"
Eric Hood of Golder Associates Ltd. notes that municipal drinking water often doesn’t meet Ontario’s contaminated site cleanup standards, with potentially serious consequences for cleanups:
Continue reading the post titled Drinking water and "contamination"Is Alberta greenwashing its greenhouse gas emissions?
Alberta frequently claims to be “greening” its dirty, fossil-fuel industries: coal and oil sands. One major, much-vaunted initiative is the Greenhouse Gas emission system
Continue reading the post titled Is Alberta greenwashing its greenhouse gas emissions?Conservation authorities permitting changes
The Ministry of Natural Resources has Proposed Amendments to Conservation Authority Regulations made and approved under Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act. The amendments don’t seem objectionable. They are intended to streamline the permitting process for grading and filling flood plains, by extending the maximum period of a permit from 24 months to 60 months...
Continue reading the post titled Conservation authorities permitting changesObama, the Oval Office, the BP spill and the future
I thought that President Obama hit just the right notes last night with his public address about the BP spill and the future of oil. Yes, the spill must be stopped, and cleaned up, and compensation paid. But the US must finally get REALLY serious about getting off oil, instead of letting China surge ahead...
Continue reading the post titled Obama, the Oval Office, the BP spill and the futureBetter comments on permit-by-rule for water taking
Will Ontario’s proposed rules for “permit-by-rule” water takings work? Stephen English of the Region of Halton has graciously allowed me to post some of his helpful comments on the details of Ontario’s proposal to replace some Permits to Take Water, especially for construction dewatering, with a “permit by rule” exemption under the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry. He doesn’t...
Continue reading the post titled Better comments on permit-by-rule for water takingReceive Blog Posts
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