Firing pregnant employees can be costly – and rightly so. Even if an employer dismisses a pregnant employee for non-discriminatory reasons (such as downsizing), courts will consider the impact of a pregnancy on an employee’s job search. This means larger wrongful dismissal awards or severance packages.
Were you dismissed at Christmas time? If so, you’re not alone. But, it can be a very hard time to lose a job.
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario confirmed last month that union members can still file human rights applications at the Tribunal. This decision follows the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Horrocks, which many interpreted as limiting union members’ options.
Earlier this month the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario dismissed an application brought on behalf of an elementary school student. The application alleged that the public school board had discriminated against a student on the basis of sex and (ironically) gender identity when her grade one teacher taught the class about gender identity. Specifically, the …
Gender identity lessons for grade one student (and her teddy bears) not discriminatory Read More »
For many Ontarians, being a salaried employee is the ideal employment scenario. The main benefit of a salary is having a fixed income week after week. Unlike hourly employees, salaried employee will receive the same pay, whether they work 30 hours or 40 hours in a week. If you’re a salaried employee and non-unionized, you …
Imagine working 66-hour work weeks or more, having no time for family, friends, or even yourself, and where 25 cents an hour was considered good pay. These were the working conditions of the common working class in the late 1800s. Labour conditions were at an all-time low, and the workers were struggling to keep up (Ok, maybe not so hard to imagine in 2022). Hamilton, Ontario workers played an important role in the development of labour rights in Canada in response to these conditions.
You might be surprised to learn that teen workers are at a higher risk of workplace injury than adults. The stereotypical image of an injured worker certainly doesn’t conjure up visions of a teen! But, inexperience and inadequate occupational health and safety training leaves young workers at risk. So, too, can the type of jobs they are more likely to perform. In fact, boys aged 10-17 working in food and beverage services made up more than a third of all work-related emergency department visits according to a 2016 study. This same group of boys made up more than 10% of work-related hospital admissions.
In Ontario, the Landlord and Tenant Board deals with questions involving an individual’s rights as a tenant or landlord. The Purpose of the Landlord and Tenant Board The Landlord and Tenant Board of Ontario was created by the Residential Tenancies Act , 2006 (the “RTA”). The RTA contains the rules about all things related to landlords …
Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board: Why it Matters Read More »
On April 28th, the National Day of Mourning, we remember those who have lost their lives, been injured on the job or become sick because of their work. The Day of Mourning is also a day to renew our commitment to protecting workers and to preventing further workplace tragedies. The pandemic has reminded us of …
In a recent decision, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario affirmed the rights of trans workers to be treated with respect in the workplace. Sarah Molyneaux represented 3 workers who quit their jobs after their employer repeatedly misgendered them by failing to use correct pronouns, outed them as trans and used a transphobic slur in …
MMH case affirms that misgendering, outing employees is workplace discrimination Read More »
