If you are an Ontario employer with over 20 employees, you are required to file before the end of the year.  The article below was a good reminder for me.

The government site explains the requirements for firms of ALL sizes.  https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility-rules-businesses-and-non-profits

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”) is a law that sets out a process for developing and enforcing accessibility standards. Under AODA, accessibility standards have been created that organizations must follow.

To ensure employers in Ontario have met current accessibility requirements under AODA, a compliance report must be filed periodically.

If you are a business or non-profit organization with 20 or more employees in Ontario, you must file an accessibility compliance report every 3 years.
If you are a designated public sector organization you must file an accessibility compliance report every 2 years.

The deadline to file in both cases is December 31, 2023.

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A good article indicating the responsibilities of employers and employees in obtaining and providing medical information around absences.  If in doubt, reach out to us, an HR consultant, and/or employment lawyer, especially in the messier situations.

“In the post-pandemic era, employees and employers alike are more cognizant of the importance of keeping sick workers home to contain and prevent the spread of illness. In addition, employers should be keenly aware of their duty to make diligent efforts to accommodate employees with disabilities, which may include providing additional time off or permitting the taking of unpaid leave.

At the same time, chronic and excessive absences can have a significant impact on workplace operations, and may detrimentally affect employers’ bottom lines. As such, employers have a legitimate interest in counteracting chronic absenteeism and ensuring that healthy workers attend work, and only those employees who are actually unable to work due to illness or disability are granted leave or other benefits.

To ensure employees are taking sick leave or benefits for a bona fide reason, arbitrators have held that employers have the right to inquire into absences from work and employees have a continuing obligation to account for their absence, including absences due to illness. Employees have the obligation to provide their employers with “sufficient proof” that their absence was a result of illness or injury. Once an employee provides with the requisite proof of illness or injury, the right to the leave or other benefits is guaranteed….”

https://www.mondaq.com/canada/employee-rights-labour-relations/1355252/navigating-innocent-absenteeism-of-ill-employees-or-employees-with-disabilities-the-employers-right-to-request-medical-documentation-limited-by-privacy-laws?

I received this offer from GreenShield and thought it should be shared.

If you, or a woman you know, needs some help, please pass this along.  There is no cost (for the offer below). Although not a substitute for long term counselling, it may be a great start for those that do not have benefit plan with paramedical benefits, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or a Mental Health HSA.

When you sign up for GreenShield Cares’ Women’s Mental Health Program, you’ll receive two free hours of culturally sensitive talk therapy sessions and a complimentary subscription to online coach-assisted therapy (iCBT). We know that one-size therapy does not fit all. Talking to someone who understands unique needs of women – especially those from marginalized and/or racialized communities ­– can be immensely helpful for one’s healing journey.

Our program offers a personalized counselling matching tool with over 50 matching options, including culture, race, language, and religion, to ensure you can find a mental health professional who shares and/or can relate to your identity and lived experiences. Hundreds of our certified practitioners identify as a person of colour, Indigenous or Black so you can find the support that’s right for you.

https://www.greenshield.ca/en-ca/cares/womens-mental-health