Brian Grosman On The Lang & O’Leary Exchange

Keeping up with employment law in Canada used to be a marathon. Now, it's a sprint. For employers in Québec, Ontario, and British Columbia, a significant volume of new legislation...

WorkSafeBC is proposing significant amendments to British Columbia's Occupational Health and Safety Regulation that would fundamentally reshape how employers address workplace harassment, violence, and psychological health. The proposed changes introduce expanded definitions, new prevention program requirements, and obligations to identify and control psychosocial hazards. These amendments could require most B.C. employers to substantially revise their existing workplace policies and procedures.

Since the end of the First World War, Canadians have recognized November 11 as Remembrance Day, a day to honour members of our armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

Canada's gig economy continues to grow steadily, with nearly half a million Canadians now engaged in this type of work. Many businesses rely on this form of highly flexible labour...

The Canadian province of British Columbia has introduced measures that prohibit employers from asking job applicants for pay history information.

Starting November 1, 2026, BC's pay transparency reporting obligation expands to cover employers with 50 or more employees, significantly broadening the scope of the Pay Transparency Act and Pay Transparency Regulation (the "Act").

On March 1, 2018, An Act to amend the Holidays Act (Remembrance Day) received royal assent and became law.

Canada's federal government has announced a $3.5 billion rapid response support package in anticipation of retaliatory tariffs against the United States, introducing new temporary employment insurance measures and workforce retention programs. The package extends EI benefits, waives waiting periods, and creates funding opportunities for employers to retain and retrain workers rather than implement large-scale layoffs.

Ontario employers continue to face a rapidly evolving employment law landscape. Recent appellate decisions have provided much needed guidance on termination clauses and equity compensation, while proposed federal legislation signals a significant shift in the treatment of non-compete agreements. Below is a summary of several notable developments from 2026 so far.

On April 20, 2026, the Ontario government introduced Bill 105, known as the Protecting Ontario's Workers and Economic Resilience Act, 2026 (the "POWER Act"), for first reading.