Communications

At work, we can all suffer from occasional pain and discomfort, but in general work should not hurt. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common type of workplace injury in Ontario workplaces. “Musculoskeletal disorders” is an umbrella term for a number of injuries and disorders of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, bone and nerves. Studies have shown that physical factors in the workplace - how work is organized and the specific tools used as part of that work - can increase a person’s chance of developing a musculoskeletal disorder.

Mental Health Resources and Supports

in resources

January 4, 2021

Mental Health Resources & Supports BounceBack Program (CMHA) - https://bouncebackontario.ca/ BounceBack is a free skill-building program managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). It is designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression and anxiety, stress or worry. Delivered over the phone with a coach and through online videos, you will get access to tools that will support you on your path to mental wellness.

AGM Notice --- September 23rd, 2020 @ 6:00 pm

in publications

August 27, 2020

The Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic will be hosting its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020 at 6:00 pm. Join us online via Zoom. Click here to access the Zoom meeting information as well as the AGM Agenda. To access .PDF versions of the following documents, please click on the links below: 2020 WHSLC Annual Report 2020 Audited Financial Statements 2019 AGM Meeting Minutes

Uber v. Heller - A win for the “Gig” Economy Workers.

in case law, law reform

June 29, 2020

In a win for “gig” economy workers, the Supreme Court of Canada found in Uber Technologies Inc. v. Heller that the onerous mandatory arbitration clause in Uber’s service agreements is unconscionable. The Supreme Court of Canada released the decision Uber Technologies Inc. v. Heller. This decision was an appeal from the Ontario Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal found that Uber’s mandatory arbitration clause was “unconscionable”. The Clinic intervened to argue that mandatory arbitration clauses, like Uber’s, undermine the minimum protections for workers in Ontario.

Letter to the Premier Recommending Paid Sick Leave and Mandatory Medical Notes.

in law reform, letter

June 15, 2020

On June 15th, the Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic wrote a letter to Premier Ford and Minister McNaughton to urge the Ontario government to work with the federal government to require employers institute paid sick days for provincially regulated workers in Ontario. Whether it is the common cold or COVID-19, infectious diseases that impact workers will remain a constant. In Ontario, workers who are required to obtain medical notes and do not have access to paid sick leave are disproportionately racialized women, migrants and young workers, working lower income, non-unionized positions which cannot be performed remotely.

U of T Capstone Project: Improving Manual Material Handling.

June 1, 2020

The Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic continued its partnership with first year engineering students at the University of Toronto by participating in U of T Engineering Strategies & Practice Course, and the 2019-2020 Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Course. Proposed by Clinic volunteer, Edward Liu, this year’s project looked to address one of the most common injuries in the workplace - lower back pain. Statistics show that almost 1 in 4 workers will experience some form of injury because of repeated lifting and transporting of heavy materials.

COVID-19 Health and Safety Considerations.

May 11, 2020

Working during COVID-19, will depend on the type of work and its effect on public services. There are many workplaces that are considered essential including grocery stores, pharmacies and healthcare providers, that will require workers to come in despite the current government recommendations to avoid leaving home. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), a worker has the right to ask their boss to take reasonable health and safety precautions in their workplace if there is a high likeliness of exposure to COVID-19.

Work Safe Guide 2020.

May 11, 2020

Protect your health and safety! As a worker in Ontario, you have basic health and safety rights. It is against the law for your boss to fire you or punish you (or threaten to fire or punish you) for using your health and safety rights. Check out our new booklet: Work Safe: Your Health and Safety at Work For more information on our services or if you have have been fired or punished for speaking out about your health and safety rights, contact us.

Letter to the Ministry of Labour - Impact of COVID-19 on Non-unionized Essential Workers.

in COVID-19

May 6, 2020

On May 6th, the Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic wrote a letter to Minister McNaughton to urge the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MOL) to better support non-unionized essential workers who are experiencing unsafe working conditions due to COVID 19. The MOL plays an important role in enforcing the OHSA with a view to preventing the spread of COVID-19 at Ontario workplaces. There are many non-union low wage workers in factories, retail, and other sectors who, due to the very real prospect of being fired, will not stage work refusals or make complaints to authorities.

Annual Report 2019

in hazards, injured workers

December 1, 2019

The Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic’s Annual Report outlines the activities and initiatives that were made in pursuit of advocating for workers’ rights. It further details the Clinic’s efforts to continue providing consistently high quality services in a cost-effective, efficient and innovative manner. The Clinic provides such legal services as advice, representation, public legal education and law reform concerning occupational health and safety and related workplace laws. The following PDF documents are available for review -

OHCOW Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders.