Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act
Presented on March 5, 2015
- Opening Remarks (00:00)
- The Current Compliance Regime (3:48)
- Changes to the ESA (14:14)
- Changes to the OHSA (54:32)
- Changes to the LRA (1:02:12)
- Changes to the WSIA (1:04:22)
- Q&A (1:09:59)
Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act
- Speakers:
- Tim Lawson, Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
- Daniel Pugen, Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
- Kate McNeill-Keller, Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
The Ontario Government has recently passed Bill 18, the “Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014”. The Bill significantly amends workplace laws, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”), the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”), the Labour Relations Act (“LRA”) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (“WSIA”). These changes follow from recommendations made by the Law Reform Commission of Ontario that submitted a report on “vulnerable workers”. Some of Bill 18’s notable changes include: ¬ Linking the minimum wage increase to the consumer price index ¬ Increasing the time limit for filing ESA claims ¬ Eliminating the $10,000 cap on ESA claims ¬ Requiring employers to provide information directly to employees detailing their rights under the ESA ¬ Creating a new obligation on employers to prepare “self-audits” reporting their compliance efforts to the Ministry of Labour ¬ Imposing liability on employers when temporary help agencies do not pay wages to their assigned employees ¬ Imposing WSIB cost consequences on employers when temporary agency workers are injured on the job ¬ Broadening the definition of “worker” under OHSA to include interns Bill 18 is now in force. It imposes new obligations on employers, provides disincentives to use temporary labour and increases the risk of employee claims and Ministry of Labour audits/inspections. Join Tim Lawson, Daniel Pugen and Kate McNeill-Keller as they go through the changes with you step-by-step and provide practical advice on compliance, updating your organization’s policies and managing the new obligations and risks Bill 18 creates.
This program is eligible for up to 1.5 Substantive Hours under the LSUC mandatory CPD Regime. This program has also been approved for 1.5 hrs of continuing professional development (CPD) hours under Section A of the Continuing professional development (CPD) Log of the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA).