October 26, 202
The government of Ontario yesterday introduced Bill 27 2021, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour and other matters.
The full Bill can be accessed here:
https://www.ola.org/sites/default/files/node-files/bill/document/pdf/2021/2021-10/b027_e.pdf
The government has titled the Bill 27 the ‘Working for Workers Act’. It will amend a variety of other acts:
- Employment Standards Act, 2000
- Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997
- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Act
- Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006
If passed, it will make wide ranging and significant changes to Ontario workplaces and the Ontario working and employment environment, including:
- Banning the use of non-compete agreements in employment contracts
- Requiring employers with 25 or more employees to have a written policy about employees disconnecting email and other work-related communications after working hours
- Requiring business owners to allow delivery workers to use a company’s washroom if they are delivering or picking up items.
- Helping remove barriers for internationally trained individuals to get licenced in a regulated profession
- Enabling the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to work with entities like the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to streamline remittances for businesses
- Allowing surpluses over certain levels in the WSIB’s Insurance Fund to be distributed to businesses
- Allowing the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to collect information related to the agri-food workforce to ensure the government can enhance coordination of services such as vaccination and testing
- Requiring recruiters and temporary help agencies to have a licence to operate in the province
It is anticipated that the majority government will pass the bill and these regulations will come into effect in the near future.
Click here »» to read the full News Release
I hope you find this information helpful. Please contact me with any questions you may have or for assistance working through your employment and labour law matters.