On July 30, 2019, certain provisions of Bill C-44, the Budget Implementation Act 2017, No.1 came into force. Bill C-44 streamlines the dispute resolution process in federally regulated-workplaces by transferring adjudicative functions to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (“CIRB”), highlights of which include:

Unjust dismissal complaints: The CIRB now has responsibility for adjudicating unfair dismissal complaints. This means that complaints filed on or after July 29, 2019, will be referred by the Labour Program to the CIRB for resolution instead of an adjudicator.

Wage recovery appeals: While wage recovery complaints and requests for review must be filed with the Labour Program, appeals filed after July 29, 2019 will be processed by the CIRB. Appeals filed directly with the CIRB must be in writing and include reasons for the appeal.

Complaints relating to reprisals: The CIRB has established a new complaint mechanism for allegations of employer reprisals taking place on or after July 29, 2019, with written reprisal complaints now being directed to the CIRB.

The CIRB’s authority will also extend to Occupational Health and Safety Appeals. Refer to our concise summary to learn more about the implications of Bill C-44 to the Occupational Health and Safety aspects of the Canada Labour Code.

If you have any questions regarding the impact of the Bill on federally-regulated workplaces, please do not hesitate to contact a Mathews Dinsdale lawyer .