» Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)- Integrated Accessibility Regulation

The Integrated Accessibility Regulation is now filed and passed. The government has now passed four of the five accessibility standards.  The Accessible Customer Service Standard was the first standard to become law.  The Accessible Transportation Standard , Employment Accessibility Standard and Accessible Information and Communications Standard have now being integrated  into the Service Standard harmonized into one and all are now passed into law with compliance.  It harmonizes common requirements across the three standards and also includes specific requirements for each. This will make it simpler for organizations to comply, while making Ontario more accessible to people with disabilities.  The requirements come into effect July 1, 2011.

The Integrated Accessibility Regulation applies to all organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors that:

• Provide goods, services or facilities directly to the public or to other businesses or organizations
• Have at least one employee in Ontario
• Are provincially regulated

The Integrated Accessibility Regulation will designate the Licence Appeal Tribunal to hear appeals of director's orders under the AODA and will establish procedures relating to administrative penalties. Requirements will be phased in between 2011 and 2021, giving businesses and organizations time to integrate the accessibility requirements into their regular business processes.  An official copy of the Final Regulation (Ontario Regulation 191/11) has been posted on the e-Laws website and can be accessed by clicking here.  For a summary of the Integrated Standards categories and implementation timelines click here.  

The Ontario government is now working to develop tools and resource materials to help organizations meet the requirements and will continue to work with key partner stakeholders. As materials are developed to help businesses achieve accessibility, they will become available on www.ontario.ca/AccessON

For Hospitality related educational information on complying with the Service Standard of the AODA refer to the TIAO/ORHMA website.  This site will continuously be updated. The Accessible Built Environment  Employment Accessibility Standard with a proposed implementation date of 2025 is still being reviewed and being developed.

» Bill 160  Receives Royal Accent  on the Last Date of the 2010/11 Ontario Legislature Session and Becomes Law

Bill 160 amended the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 with respect to occupational health and safety.  The legislative amendments applied are the first major review and the largest overhaul of Ontario’s occupational health and safety system in 30 years.

Among the most significant recommendations, which appear as amendments in Bill 160, are the following:

The ORHMA has heard from many members on the tribulations surrounding Pay Equity including needless amount of repetitive preparation and understanding compliance rules. We have been driving regulation reform in many fronts including Pay Equity and while there is plenty of work still ahead we are bringing to your attention the Pay Equity Office’s Small Business Toolkit which clarifies pay equity obligations for small businesses. This online toolkit outlines all of the steps to achieve pay equity.

Pay equity’s theme  is equal pay for work of equal value. The Pay Equity Act applies to all public and private sector employers in Ontario except those in the private sector with less than ten employees. Employers covered by the Act are required to value jobs usually or traditionally done by females and comparing them to jobs usually or traditionally done by males using the factors of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. Female jobs that are equal or comparable in value to male jobs must be paid the same to achieve pay equity.

“Our challenge was to present pay equity simply and comprehensively to employers who may not be familiar with the process,” says Emanuela Heyninck, Ontario’s Pay Equity Commissioner. The Office wanted to address the needs of small companies that may not have in-house human resources or compensation specialists to do job evaluations and comparisons. Pay equity is a self-managed process in the organization so this do-it-yourself resource helps employers meet their obligation by providing concise, easy-to-follow instructions that guide them through pay equity implementation and achievement.

The toolkit is used by individual Review Officers in their monitoring and investigation of pay equity in workplaces. Review Officers have confirmed that employers find the templates helpful. The Office’s Review and Education Officers have noticed that sometimes all that is needed is some basic information for employers to get started on pay equity.

The toolkit is part of the Pay Equity Office’s extensive library of education materials on pay equity for employers. Other resources include a series of implementation guidelines, e-learning modules, case studies and job evaluation tools. For more information, or to sign up for a free seminar, web or teleconference session and to download these items click here.

» New Photo Card Can Be Used As ID In Liquor Licensed Establishments

The government is proceeding with the implementation of a new non-driver photo ID called the Ontario Photo Card. The new card was announced on June 9th by the Ministry of Transportation. The new photo identification card  will make it easier for people who do not have a driver's licence to travel, open a bank account, and perform any other activities that require official ID including as an approved ID in entering Liquor License establishments.

The new secure card will be recognized as government-issued identification for Ontarians 16 and over who do not drive. Ontarians will be able to apply for the photo card at about 20 selected Service Ontario centres across the province by the end of July, and at all 300 locations by 2012.

» Food Safety – So What Happened to Porky the Pig?

Recent advances in food safety and increased nutritional content of today’s pork (most pork has become 16% leaner over the past 20 years according to the National Pork Board) has contributed to the USDA announcement that it’s safe to cook pork medium rare (145°F/63°C).

 In response to this announcement a recent article in Post City Magazine proclaimed “Americans officially embrace medium rare pork; Toronto wallows in overcooked pork.”  In response, Jim Chan, Manager Healthy Environments at Toronto Public Health maintains that “cooking pork under 160°F/71°C won’t guarantee that all of the potential pathogens and parasites in the meat, like trichinosis, are killed.” Verified through independent research.

With today’s global food supply chain and the consumer’s concerns about food safety, other factors you should consider include - were required food safety standards maintained throughout the supply chain from the farm to your back door? Do you know with certainty? Has your staff properly managed the hygiene, sanitation and time and temperatures standards necessary to ensure food safety in your workplace, or, might their food handling practices put your reputation at risk? Again do you know with certainty? We don’t truly know the personal health and wellness of our guests therefore might serving medium rare pork to some result in a foodborne illness or worse and outbreak?

This recent announcement by the USDA has not changed the Canadian Food Retail and Foodservices Code or the Food Premises Regulation 562 here in Ontario. If you are going to err – err on the side of safety. For complimentary workplace training aids click here.

» Social Networking Sites Concerns for Employers

Social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are one of the fastest growing areas of concern for employers. Their concern is understandable since these sites allow users to publish a great deal of information about themselves to a potentially large audience, including comments that may be critical of coworkers or detrimental to employers’ interests and reputation.  Click here for FACEBOOK Comments: Just Cause For Termination? Article written by Ontario Bar Association.

» ORHMA Insurance – It’s Your Program!

Group Insurance Solutions, in partnership with the ORHMA, is proud to be the endorsed provider of a specialized insurance program with risk management services for ORHMA members across Ontario.

Our specialized lodging programs, dedicated sales and service team, and administrative capabilities have been tailored to satisfy the individual client’s particular needs. This dedication to the lodging industry’s concerns has helped us become one of the leaders in the administration of commercial insurance and employee benefits programs for over 1,100 hoteliers across western Canada.

ORHMA Protected Self-Insurance Program - Designed specifically for members of the ORHMA, this Protected Self-Insurance Program offers immediate guaranteed premium savings, eligibility for year-end rebates, and comprehensive coverage.

For more information on the ORHMA Protected Self-Insurance Program, please call Justin Friesen at 1-800-665-8990 ext. 7211 or email justin.friesen@westernfgis.ca. 

» Help Shape Your Industry!

The Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC) in collaboration with The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) is conducting various research projects to examine front line occupations in the Tourism and Hospitality industry to determine if an update to the emerit National Occupational Standards is necessary to reflect changes to the occupation and industry.

emerit National Occupational Standards describe the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be considered competent in an occupation. These standards have real-world applicability in the tourism sector, because they were developed by tourism professionals, like you, in collaboration with leading tourism organizations in the country. The emerit brand has become synonymous with excellence, credibility, and professionalism in the Canadian tourism sector.                                   

We will be recruiting for the following occupations throughout the summer of 2011:

project, please contact: Claire Sullivan, Coordinator, Client Development at 416.622.1975 ext.240 or click here to email.  www.otec.org.

» HospitalityServe.com – Get Experienced Employees Now!

HospitalityServe.com recently participated in ORHMA's 8th Annual Golf Tournament on June 6th and it could not have been a more perfect day! The sun was calescent, without a cloud in the sky! HospitalityServe.com sponsored the tenth hole, giving away cold water, which was much needed that day. After much anticipation, HospitalityServe.com has launched their partner's page, featuring some of the industry's best culinary and hospitality schools. These partnerships are just one way that HospitalityServe.com stands out from the crowd to provide experienced and educated job seekers to their clients.

Pantelly Damoulianos, Ellen Duffy, Alex Zafiropoulos,  Sratos Papachristopoulos