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Employers in Ontario have been waiting for clarification on the interpretation of COVID-19 leave provisions throughout much of the pandemic. Employers had hoped that the Court of Appeal’s decision in Taylor v Hanley Hospitality Inc. would provide clarity on the implications of Employment Standards Act, 2000 infectious disease emergency leave (IDEL) on an employee’s employment status.

On April 6, 2022, the British Columbia government introduced legislation that would change the union certification process under British Columbia’s Labour Relations Code.

On March 9, 2022, the Ontario government announced a plan to bring an end to all COVID-19 restrictions by April 27, 2022. Here is a summary of the upcoming employment-related changes.

On February 28, 2022, the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 88, the Working for Workers Act, 2022. Bill 88 would enact the Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act, 2022, which would establish rights for workers who offer services through digital platforms. In addition, Bill 88 would amend a number of statutes including the Employment Standards Act, 2000.

On January 3, 2022, the Ontario government announced a number of restrictions in response to climbing COVID-19 case numbers and increased hospitalizations. Effective January 5, 2022, the province is temporarily returning to a modified version of its previous Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen under O. Reg. 263/20. The province will return to Step Two for a minimum of 21 days (until January 26, 2022), at which point the restrictions will be evaluated.