First published on Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Last updated on Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we take a look at the week’s most pressing HR and employment law stories. With over a decade of experience working within the HR and employment law industry, I give my opinion on current trends impacting your business, as well as my own personal commentary on all things HR and legal.
Filing twice could mean striking out
A worker’s discrimination complaint against their employer was thrown out after the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal found he was already suing the company over the same allegations.
The situation started back in 2002 when the worker suffered a permanent injury that left him unable to return to his regular job duties. He claimed the injury led to years of bullying, harassment, and discrimination before ultimately being let go from his job in 2022.
After filing a civil lawsuit seeking damages for wrongful dismissal, discrimination, and mental distress, the worker filed a second claim with the Human Rights Tribunal just seven months later, alleging discrimination based on race, disability, and age.
What may have seemed like a smart move at the time led to problems down the road. The Ontario Human Rights Code bars duplicate proceedings based on the same facts and the case was dismissed. Even though the worker argued the two claims were different, the tribunal disagreed, finding the core issues were identical.
It’s a timely reminder for employers that mistakes can upend entire cases, whether for employees or business owners. Having the right support makes all the difference.
Quebec hotels face summer staffing crisis
It’s shaping up to be a rocky summer for Quebec’s hotel industry. According to the Association hôtellerie du Québec (AHQ), a whopping 91% of hotels are struggling to find enough staff.
The main hurdle? New federal restrictions on the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. Businesses are now capped at hiring just 10% of their workforce through the program’s low-wage stream, and LMIA applications are refused in regions with over 6% unemployment.
Because of this, many hotels are short by three to 10 workers, and some have had to let go of foreign workers already in Canada.
Even with wage increases, local hires for janitorial, overnight, and kitchen jobs are hard to come by. AHQ’s CEO calls the new policy "economic, operational, and human nonsense," urging the federal government to rethink its approach.
Quebec’s immigration ministry, however, says businesses should turn to automation and view foreign workers as a "last resort."
As summer approaches, employers are warning that staffing shortages could have a big impact on tourism, hospitality, and service industries. Understaffing is an issue no employer wants to deal with, especially during peak season, so I’ll be keeping an eye on how things unfold.
Mark Carney takes the reins
Big news on the political front: Mark Carney has officially won the federal elections and is now the new Prime Minister of Canada.
While it’s early days, business groups and HR leaders are already keeping a close eye on what this could mean for workplaces. Carney’s platform has hinted at boosting worker protections, strengthening paid leave rights, and supporting fairer workplace practices.
So what could this mean for employers? Well for one, employment legislation could be heading toward tighter compliance requirements.
For now, no immediate changes have been announced, but it’s a good reminder to stay proactive. My advice is to make sure your using up-to-date contracts, policies, and HR processes so you’re one step ahead of any shifts coming down the pipeline.
And that’s a wrap from me. Tune in next time for my take on the latest headlines and employment law stories, helping keep your business ahead!
