We are not yet at the halfway point of 2024. Despite this, both Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill have already been quite busy creating new rules that will apply to employers with operations in Ontario. In this article, we highlight a few of the major changes announced in the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 and the 2024 Federal Budget and summarize how these may impact your organization.
On November 14, 2023, the Ontario provincial government tabled Bill 149 (the Working for Workers Act, 2023). This is the fourth installment in Ontario’s “working for workers” legislative changes. If passed into law, Bill 149 will result in amendments to several employment statutes including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) and the Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act, 2022 (“DPWRA”).
In the lead-up to the June 2nd provincial election, the Progressive Conservative Party under Premier Ford has introduced yet another set of changes to Ontario employment law. This marks the second major update to the province’s workplace regulations in a 12-month period. We reported on the prior round of changes (which became law in November 2021) here.
While vaccination mandates and the ongoing pandemic continue to dominate headlines, less attention has been given to the major changes to Ontario employment law currently being proposed at Queen’s Park. A ban on non-compete clauses, a new minimum wage, and a legally protected right to wear poppies in the workplace are just some of what may be coming.
The dog days of summer are upon us. As employees head to cottages (or their backyard), it is a good time for employers to review vacation policies to ensure they are fit for purpose. Managing and tracking employee vacation entitlement can be one of the trickier things for employers to navigate. Errors in this regard can result in unnecessary disputes and unintended liability.
Effective September 26, 2020, Ontario amended its Rules for Areas in Stage Three, a government regulation that lays out requirements for businesses during the current phase of the provincial reopening process.
