It is common these days to hear news stories about employer fines and penalties for breaches in workplace safety, employment, or human rights laws.
This increase in penalties, including large monetary punishments and jail time, coincides with a recent rise in enforcement activity by government auditors and inspectors and unsympathetic rulings by judges against employers and their supervisors. Employers are on high alert as the Canadian justice system and other judicial bodies, such as human rights or workplace safety tribunals, set precedents in fines amounts and jail time. This enforcement activity likely relates to research evidence suggesting that imposing employer fines and penalties reduces illegal business practices and the number workplace incidents and claims.
Here are a few recent, notable examples of convictions and fines to Ontario businesses, employers and supervisors.
- Zochem, a company in Brampton, Ontario, was ordered to pay a former employee 10 months’ pay and pension earnings in lieu of notice plus $85,000 in moral and human rights damages related to harassment and intimidation in the workplace and a bad faith dismissal.
- In R. v. Roofing Medics Ltd. a supervisor pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the use of fall protection equipment and knowingly providing false information to a Ministry of Labour inspector. The supervisor received a 15-day jail sentence, including 10 days for the fall protection violation and 5 days for providing false information.
- A company that provided security services for Oshawa City Hall was fined $70,000 for failing to comply with orders to develop workplace and violence prevention programs for its workers.
- A Trenton business man was fined $1000 for not complying with a ministry order related to his business activities.
- The Ontario Ministry of Labour regularly inspects workplaces and fines employers and supervisors for breaching the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Gone are the days that employers can casually ignore employment laws, be unfair to employees or allow workers to perform unsafe work. There is currently a high degree of public awareness about workplace rights and responsibilities. This forces employers to be accountable for their employment practices and to design their business operations to consider Health & Safety, Human Rights and Employment laws. Illegal or immoral business practices lead to grave consequences for businesses including severe employer fines and penalties.
Read more about Ontario employer fines and penalties on the Ontario government website.
