Another "3 Ps" in Condos? Policies, Programs, and Plans
Most people are familiar with the declaration, by-laws, and rules of condominiums, but many are less familiar with policies in condominiums. This is not surprising as the only references to “policies” in the Condominium Act, 1998 (the “Condo Act”), are for insurance policies. In recent years, condominiums are more regularly creating policies to address a variety of topics. This post is the first of two which will describe some policies that condominiums may be required to create and others that may be recommended.
WHAT IS A POLICY?
Generally, a policy is a set of guidelines that support future decisions and define expectations. For condominiums, a policy may be created, amended, or repealed by resolution of the board of directors. It does not require approval of the owners. That said, the policy will only be enforceable if the board of directors had authority to make a decision on the subject-matter of the policy without approval of the owners. The policy must also be reasonable and consistent with the declaration, by-laws, and rules of the condominium.
REQUIRED POLICIES, PROGRAMS AND PLANS
Condominiums may be required to create policies in a variety of situations. The most common situation is where a condominium has an employee (or more broadly a “worker” in some cases).
Reserve Fund Investments
The Condo Act requires condominiums to create an investment plan before investing any part of the condominium’s reserve fund accounts. The plan must be based on the anticipated cash requirements of the reserve fund as described in the most recent reserve fund study. It is wise to create the plan with the help of an investment professional.
Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies and Programs
Every employer in Ontario must prepare and review, at least annually, policies on workplace violence and harassment according to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”). The policies are required regardless of the size of the workplace or the number of workers, but there are additional requirements where there are six or more regular workers. The employer must also maintain a program to implement the workplace violence and harassment policies.
It is important to note that the definitions of “employer”, “worker”, and “workplace” are very broad. For example, “worker” includes both employees and contractors. A worker could include a cleaner, landscaper, superintendent, or property manager depending on the circumstances. As such, it is likely that most, if not all, condominiums in Ontario would be required to have these policies and programs in place.
A sample workplace violence policy and program has been produced as part of the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s Workplace Violence and Harassment: Understanding the Law guide which can be found here: https://files.ontario.ca/wpvh_guide_english.pdf It is important to keep in mind that the workplace violence and harassment policies and programs must be modified to reflect the risks of the workplace after the employer completes its risk assessment.
Make sure you check back for part 2 of this series for more required policies and some recommended ones.