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”).
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.
This week on Twitter, our firm has been examining the minimum wage from a variety of perspectives. Using the hashtag #minimumwageweek, we shared content ranging from videos of famed economists such as Milton Friedman to historical articles on the original debate when Ontario’s minimum wage was first introduced in 1963.
On October 23, 2018 the Ford government presented Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act. Bill 47 is set to repeal a large portion of Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, which was passed into law by the previous provincial government just 11 months ago.
Last month, the provincial government passed into law Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017. This Act brings with it significant changes to employment law in Ontario for both employees and employers. In particular, Bill 148 will overhaul parts of the Employment Standards Act, the Labour Relations Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
