LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Workplace Safety
Oct. 16: Phase 1 of Alberta OHS reform with the end of public comments. The MOL will now review comments on its preliminary plan and propose a bill by year’s end. Changes on the table:
- Expand powers of OHS officers to issue stop work orders and tickets
- Require employers to provide notification of new projects
- Give workers stronger protections against reprisals
- Establish special new protections for young workers
- Make employers do more to prevent occupational illnesses
- Revise the COR/PIR program.
Workers’ Compensation
Oct.: Alberta employers should also brace themselves for a workers comp reform bill. Key recommendations of the review panel report:
- Make return-to-work mandatory for injured/ill workers
- Create a new independent office to ensure fairness of the WBC process
- More assistance workers and employers seeking appeals and reviews
- More physician choices for injured workers
- Identify and fix current benefits policies that are unfair to workers.
Drugs & Alcohol
Oct. 27: Managing workplace cannabis use is one of the issues being addressed during the public hearings on how Alberta should implement legalized cannabis that close today. While legalizing cannabis is a federal initiative, each jurisdiction has to create its own regulatory plan for putting it into effect within their own boundaries.
