Ontario employers will face new cost and compliance challenges as Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, becomes law.

Bill 148, which the Ontario Government introduced last week, contains important amendments to the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Labour Relations Act, 1995.

While much of the media attention has focussed on the proposed increases to the minimum wage, Bill 148 proposes multiple changes that will impact all Ontario workplaces. The Bill:

  • Introduces a 50% increase in mandatory vacation time for employees with at least five years of service
  • Requires that temporary, part-time and agency employees be paid the same as regular employees
  • Imposes new statutory leave obligations and limits an employer's ability to require medical notes in relation to certain leaves
  • Includes new obligations regarding the setting and changing of work schedules
  • Creates new penalties for employers that misclassify workers as independent contractors
  • Establishes new union certification rules that make it easier for unions to succeed in organizing drives

Join us for a one hour webinar where Osler's Employment & Labour team will discuss the business implications of the Bill 148.

There is no cost to participate. Please register for the date and time that suits your schedule.

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