December 19, 2024
The Ministry periodically sends out a newsletter that contains a variety of information for employers. In this email I have highlighted some of the items that may be of interest to you.
A few pertain to workplace and general safety during the holiday and winter season, others relate to programs available from the Ministry and other organizations.
If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter yourself, you can do it through this link »» Subscribe to ‘What’s New‘
I hope you find this information helpful.
Please contact me with any questions you may have or for assistance working through your staffing matters.
Holiday and Seasonal Safety
Wishing a safe and happy holiday season to all who celebrate at this time of year, and a happy New Year as we move into January. While the holidays are a time of joy and celebration for many, they can be a source of anxiety for others, and changes in our routines and surroundings can lead to injuries. There are also certain employment standards to be aware of for public holidays. Here are some tips to stay safe and protect your mental health this holiday season:
- Public holidays
- Protect your mental health from holiday stress
- Safe winter driving
- Holiday fire and carbon monoxide safety
- Holiday food safety
- Tips for safe decorating
- Ladders and lights: safety when working from heights
- Preventing slips, trips and falls
Applications open for Skills Development Fund Capital Stream
Ontario has launched the second round of its Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream, with over $74 million in available funding to build, expand and retrofit training facilities for workers in the trades, including construction, manufacturing, technology and health care. Since the province launched the Skills Development Fund in 2021, Ontario is building training facilities and providing training programs that are projected to support over one million workers across the province.
Learn more
New multilingual employment standards resources
In certain circumstances, employers and recruiters are required to give employees one or more mandatory ministry information sheets and poster. The employment standards poster and information sheets are now available in four Indigenous languages: Eastern Ojibwe, Mohawk, Moose Cree and Oji-Cree. This information is also available in other languages.
Get your poster | Get your information sheets
CROSH: Student internships, free online health and safety conference
New at the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH):
Connecting interns and workplaces: Could your organization benefit from graduate and undergraduate student help in solving a health and safety problem? CROSH facilitates 150-hour student internships at no cost to the organization.
January 24:CROSH Con 2025: Research for Workers: There’s still room to register for CROSH’s free online health and safety conference in January. The conference features 11 presentations with clear take-home messages on some of the latest health and safety research.
Public Services Health and Safety Association: Audits, Training and Excellence rebates
Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) audit: This audit involves a systematic review of an organization’s health and safety management system and compares it against an established set of requirements. The thorough, independent and unbiased audit process allows clients to have guidance and recommendations that showcases their strengths while indicating opportunities for improving their system.
Private delivery training: PSHSA’s private delivery training is offered virtually or from the convenience of your workplace with just your workers in attendance. Courses offered through private delivery include Joint Health and Safety Committee Certification, Working at Heights, Health and Safety for Leaders and more.
Health and Safety Excellence Program: PSHSA is a WSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program provider and leads registered clients through the program requirements and along their journey towards health and safety excellence. In November, 10 registered employers in PSHSA’s Health and Safety Excellence program successfully met the program requirements, obtaining a collective rebate of $115,292. Since the beginning of the program, PSHSA has helped registered workplaces obtain a collective rebate of over $5 million dollars to date.
New online labour relations services
Through Collective Bargaining Ontario, unions and employers can now request an appointment for arbitration or conciliation online, as well as file collective agreements. New features also include 24/7 access to electronic files and information, regular status updates and more.
Learn more at Collective Bargaining Ontario
Court bulletins
View bulletins on recent court decisions that resulted in fines and other penalties under Ontario’s workplace laws.