September brings a combination of new compliance requirements, important workplace deadlines, and recent court and arbitration decisions that HR teams should have on their radar.

The September 2026 edition of HR Insider examines several issues that can create significant risk when they're handled inconsistently or without adequate documentation.

This month's coverage includes recent decisions involving remote-work accommodation, performance reviews, workplace violence, drug and alcohol testing, and employee cellphone use. We also look at what happens when an employee discloses a disability during a workplace investigation, and how HR can balance the duty to accommodate with the obligation to maintain a safe and harassment-free workplace.

With employees returning to fall routines, we examine practical ways employers can support working caregivers without losing sight of operational requirements. We also look at a frequently overlooked corporate risk: when directors may remain personally liable for payroll and other corporate debts even after resigning.

For employers with employees or executives travelling into Canada, this edition also includes a 25-question cross-border business travel checklist designed to help HR determine when a routine business trip could create immigration and work permit risk.

Key Takeaways

• Accommodation doesn't automatically override legitimate performance standards. Clear, consistently enforced remote-work policies remain important.
• Disability disclosed during an investigation must be considered, but it doesn't automatically excuse harassment or serious misconduct.
• Performance reviews can legitimately address behaviour and soft skills when expectations are communicated and the process is carried out fairly and in good faith.
• Workplace violence and misconduct require individualized assessments. A zero-tolerance policy doesn't necessarily make termination automatic.
• Personal device policies matter, particularly in safety-sensitive workplaces where distraction can create additional risk.
• Caregiver flexibility can be both an employee-support strategy and a risk-management tool during the back-to-school transition.
• Director liability may survive a resignation when a former director continues performing director-level functions.
• Cross-border business travel should be reviewed before the employee travels. Whether a work permit is required generally depends on what the person will be doing in Canada, not simply how long they'll be here.

September also brings several dates HR should keep on its compliance calendar, including Manitoba's new menstrual-product requirements, Nunavut's minimum-wage increase, Labour Day, Ontario WSIB policy changes, and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Read the September 2026 HR Insider Newsletter for the cases, compliance developments, and practical guidance Canadian HR professionals need for the month ahead.