March 16th Newsletter

Ontario tightening rules around mass layoffs

The Ontario government is proposing updates to employment laws that would respond to more workers being remote and a changing economy. Under the proposed changes, employees who work solely from home would be eligible for the same enhanced notice as “in-office” and other employees in mass termination situations. This would ensure that remote employees receive the same eight-week minimum notice of termination or pay-in-lieu.

Also, under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA), employers are currently only required to share the latest version of the employment standards poster, which outlines ESA workplace rights and responsibilities, with new employees. To protect precarious employees, the government is also proposing regulatory changes that would require employers to provide new hires with information in writing about their job, such as pay, work location and hours of work, and the date by which that information needs to be provided (e.g., before their first shift).

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Niagara’s Community Emergency Response Team searching for 100 new volunteers

Niagara Region is searching for volunteers from across Niagara to join its Community Emergency Response Team.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group of trained, certified volunteers who help their community in a time of disaster or crisis. Having an emergency response team in place helps increase Niagara’s safety and resiliency and is a critical part of emergency response employed by communities throughout North America.

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Ontario requiring cleaner washrooms on construction sites

The Ontario government is making washrooms on construction sites private, clean and safe. There are nearly 600,000 construction workers in Ontario, but only one in 10 are women. These changes, if approved, would make the skilled trades more accessible to women by ensuring they have access to at least one women’s-only washroom on jobsites and properly fitting equipment such as uniforms, boots and safety harnesses.

The government is further improving portable washrooms by requiring them to be private and completely enclosed, have adequate lighting and hand sanitizer (where running water is not reasonably possible). Additionally, the government is doubling the number of toilets on most jobsites.

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TikTok banned on work devices by regional police, and a majority of Niagara municipalities

The number of Niagara municipalities removing TikTok from corporate devices is growing following federal and provincial government bans on their employee-issued devices due to “privacy and security” concerns.

The Town of Lincoln is the latest, this week imposing a ban on the social media video app on all corporate-issued devices and internet networks at town facilities.

“Cybersecurity and privacy are of the utmost importance when it comes to our staff, residents and visitors,” Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton said in a press release announcing the decision.

“It is important that we take this precautionary measure as we continue to learn more of the threats of TikTok to cybersecurity.”

That follows Niagara Region, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Thorold, Port Colborne and Grimsby, along with Niagara Regional Police, in barring the app.

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