Chapter Seven - Workplace Legislation

Question 1

List 5 aspects of the employee-employer relationship governed by the Employment Standards Act.

Answer 1

1. Hours of work and overtime.
2. Benefit Plans.
3. Equal pay for equal work.
4. Employment record keeping.
5. The role of the Ministry of Labour.

Question 2

What is the purpose of the Labour Relations Act?

Answer 2

To regulate the relationship between unions and employers.

Question 3

What are 5 areas of discrimination listed in the Ontario Human Rights Code?

Answer 3

1. Race.
2. Ancestry.
3. Colour.
4. Sex.
5. Age.

Question 4

What is the purpose of the Occupational Health and Safety Act?

Answer 4

To set out how employees are to be kept safe in the workplace and what happens when accidents happen.

Question 5

What is the purpose of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act?

Answer 5

To provide a no-fault system whereby employers pay into a fund on a regular basis and that fund is used to provide compensation and training to employees and their families who are affected by a workplace accident.

Question 6

What are the 3 components to WHMIS?

Answer 6

1. Labeling system for controlled and hazardous materials.
2. Materials Safety Data Sheets.
3. Education for employees in the use of the labeling and the data sheets.

Question 7

What are the 5 types of intellectual property?

Answer 7

1. Copyright.
2. Trade-Mark.
3. Patent.
4. Industrial Design.
5. Integrated Circuit Topography.

Question 8

What are the 5 types of work that can be copyrighted?

Answer 8

1. Literary Works.
2. Dramatic Works.
3. Musical Works.
4. Artistic Works.
5. Recordings.

Question 9

List 2 guidelines that an employer might have for employee internet use.

Answer 9

1. The employee will use the internet for work purposes only, not personal purposes.
2. The employee understands that his/her internet usage is a matter of public record and that no user is assured anonymity regarding their degree of internet usage and the specific sites visited.

Question 10

List 2 guidelines that an employer might have for employee software use.

Answer 10

1. The employee will comply with any software or other copyright or licencing laws with respect to the software he or she has access to.
2. The employee will not use pirated copyrighted software.

Question 11

What are 3 inappropriate uses of social media that may result in the termination of your employment?

Answer 11

1. Derogatory and harmful comments about colleagues, managers, employers and company products.
2. Company confidential and client confidential information.
3. Sexually explicit photographs.

Question 12

What is the key factor when determining whether an employee is legally a whistleblower or illegally a disgruntled employee causing trouble for an employer?

Answer 12

The key factor in designating an employee as a whistleblower as opposed to a disgruntled employee causing trouble is the employee’s motivation for revealing confidential company information. If the employee was motivated by professional and ethical reasons then it is deemed to be whistleblowing.