Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023 Carries on First Reading, with Potential for Major Changes Ahead

On March 20, 2023, Invoice 79, Functioning for Workers Act, 2023, carried on a 1st examining in the Ontario legislature. If passed, Monthly bill 79 will significantly amend several employment-related statutes and grow on legislative adjustments released in the Doing the job for Workers Acts, 2021 and 2022.

Summary of Crucial Variations

The most crucial probable alterations contain:

• Mass Termination: Workforce who perform remotely from dwelling will be included in the depend for mass termination provisions underneath the Work Requirements Act, 2000 (“ESA“). The outcome is that distant workforce will receive the similar 8-week bare minimum recognize of termination or pay out-in-lieu as their in-office environment colleagues. Currently, the which means of “establishment” below the mass termination provisions only encompasses the actual physical place at which an employer carries on enterprise, and does not involve an employee’s non-public home. If Monthly bill 79 is handed as presently drafted, the proposed amendments to the mass termination provisions will come into force on the afterwards of July 1, 2023, or the date on which Invoice 79 receives Royal Assent.
• Health and fitness and Security: The utmost fine that may possibly be imposed on a company convicted of an offence less than the Occupational Health and Basic safety Act will enhance from $1.5 million to $2 million.
• Reservist Depart: The Employment Standards Act, 2000 will be amended to entitle an personnel who is in treatment method, recovery or rehabilitation in respect of a physical or mental wellness health issues, injury or health care emergency that effects from participation in specified functions or functions to reservist go away. Further more, reservists who are deployed to unexpected emergency operations within Canada will be entitled to choose this depart immediately irrespective of the duration of their employment, and the size of work required to consider this depart for all other good reasons will be diminished from a few months to two months.
• Particular Information and facts in Submit-Secondary Instruction: Segment 15 of the Ministry of Instruction, Faculties and Universities Act will be amended to allow the assortment, disclosure and use of private information and facts for functions associated to particular employment programs and providers. This contains disclosing individual information and facts to folks or entities that administer, evaluate or deliver employment programs or solutions funded by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Schooling and Competencies Improvement for the purpose of administering and providing these applications or services.
• Short term Foreign Staff: The Employment Safety for Foreign Nationals Act, 2009 will be amended to improve penalties employers and men and women who are convicted of taking possession of or retaining a international national’s passport or do the job permit. For men and women, the penalty will enhance to a fine of not much more than $500,000 and/or imprisonment for a term of not additional than 12 months. For companies, the penalty will boost to a good of not more than $1,000,000.
• Task Info Transparency: Businesses will be essential to provide staff beginning a new career with data about their job, this sort of as fork out, function location and hrs of operate, and the date by which that data demands to be provided. These draft polices have not been printed but, but we will continue to keep track of this sizeable amendment carefully.

Essential Takeaways

If handed, Invoice 79 will improve protections for workers and make on the variations released in prior legislative amendments. Companies contemplating a workforce restructuring after July 1, 2023 should really look at to ensure whether or not Bill 79 has been handed, and if so, involve remote personnel when assessing whether the mass-termination provisions of the ESA are activated, and how a lot recognize distant personnel are entitled to.

More, if Monthly bill 79 is handed, post-secondary institutions should have their privateness insurance policies reviewed to assure compliance with the proposed adjustments to the Ministry of Training, Schools and Universities Act. And, all companies really should have their work contracts reviewed to assure compliance with the position info transparency necessities.

If you have any concerns or need to have aid with any of the above, be sure to get in touch with an individual from our workforce.