“Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.”

President Kennedy’s address to the Canadian Parliament on May 17, 1961 affirmed the strong bonds between Canada and the US. This relationship continues today with the many companies that share business operations on both sides of the border.

Are you looking for reliable Canadian Human Resources advice for your Canadian Operations? Newman HR Consulting has been working closely with US companies to ensure compliance with Canadian employment legislation and practices.

US and Canadian employment legislation is remarkably similar in many aspects. Generally speaking, both have non-discrimination, equal opportunity for disabilities, maternity and family leaves, health & safety, and prevention against violence and sexual harassment requirements.

A key difference is on employee rights on termination, between “at will” employment in some US states, as compared with termination and severance requirements in Canada.

In Ontario, there are also a number of mandatory practices and training. These include:

• Providing a copy of Employment Standards legislation with each job offer in Ontario
• Occupational Health & Safety Training
• Ontarians with Disability Training (AODA) Training
• Sexual Harassment and Violence in the Workplace Training
• Health & Safety Committee training for Supervisors and Employees

In addition, there are a wide variety of other compliance requirements concerning overtime payments, exempt and non-exempt status, holiday pay and various leave programs.

The complexity of these requirements often escapes some Ontario companies, particularly given some of the recent changes to Employment Standards.

We provide full service Human Resources support to our clients including recruiting, policies, performance management, compensation, harassment investigations and terminations.

If you have any questions about these requirements or any other Human Resources issue, we’d be pleased to help. Feel free to use the form below to send us a question or to request a one hour free consultation discussion.

On a final note, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said:

“The relationship between Canada and the United States serves as a model for the world. Our shared values, deep cultural ties, and strong integrated economies will continue to provide the basis for advancing our strong and prosperous partnership.”

At Newman Human Resources, we look forward to increasing your prosperity.