Greater Toronto
MPP announces new
workplace legislation
of YorkWorks Stouffville
Dr. Helena Jaczek MPP Oak Ridges-Markham on behalf of York Region MPPs Chris Ballard, Michael Chan, Steven Del Duca and Reza Moridi was at YorkWorks Employment Centre in Stouffville on Friday to announce that Ontario has passed legislation that will affect Ontario workplaces in major ways.
The Act will raise the minimum wage and significantly change the terms of employment for part-time and contract workers, expand personal emergency leave and step up enforcement of employment laws.
Here is a summary of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017:
• Raise Ontario's general minimum wage to $14 per hour on January 1, 2018, and then to $15 on January 1, 2019, followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation
• Mandate equal pay for part-time, temporary, casual and seasonal employees doing the same job as full-time employees; and equal pay for temporary help agency employees doing the same job as employees at the agencies' client companies
• Expand personal emergency leave to 10 days per calendar year for all employees, with at least two paid days per year for employees who have been employed for at least a week
• Ban employers from requiring a doctor's sick note from an employee taking personal emergency leave
• Provide up to 17 weeks off without the fear of losing their job when a worker or their child has experienced or is threatened with domestic or sexual violence, including paid leave for the first five days
• Bring Ontario's vacation time in line with the national average by ensuring at least three weeks' vacation after five years with the same employer
• Requiring employees to be paid for three hours of work if their shift is cancelled within 48 hours of its scheduled start time
The government is also expanding family leaves and adding measures to ensure that employees are not misclassified as independent contractors, ensuring they get the benefits and protections as employees.
To enforce these changes, the province is hiring up to 175 more employment standards officers and is launching a program to educate both employees and businesses about their rights and obligations under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.
The Act will raise the minimum wage and significantly change the terms of employment for part-time and contract workers, expand personal emergency leave and step up enforcement of employment laws.
Here is a summary of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017:
• Raise Ontario's general minimum wage to $14 per hour on January 1, 2018, and then to $15 on January 1, 2019, followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation
• Mandate equal pay for part-time, temporary, casual and seasonal employees doing the same job as full-time employees; and equal pay for temporary help agency employees doing the same job as employees at the agencies' client companies
• Expand personal emergency leave to 10 days per calendar year for all employees, with at least two paid days per year for employees who have been employed for at least a week
• Ban employers from requiring a doctor's sick note from an employee taking personal emergency leave
• Provide up to 17 weeks off without the fear of losing their job when a worker or their child has experienced or is threatened with domestic or sexual violence, including paid leave for the first five days
• Bring Ontario's vacation time in line with the national average by ensuring at least three weeks' vacation after five years with the same employer
• Requiring employees to be paid for three hours of work if their shift is cancelled within 48 hours of its scheduled start time
The government is also expanding family leaves and adding measures to ensure that employees are not misclassified as independent contractors, ensuring they get the benefits and protections as employees.
To enforce these changes, the province is hiring up to 175 more employment standards officers and is launching a program to educate both employees and businesses about their rights and obligations under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.
