Human Resources Legislative Update
Ontario Proposes ESA Changes for Remote Workers and New Hires
Date: March 13, 2023
On March 13, 2023 the Ontario government announced proposed updates to employment laws related to remote workers in the province.
If passed, the proposed changes would broaden the definition of “establishment” in the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) to include employees’ remote home offices. As a result, employees who work solely from home would be eligible for the enhanced notice provided in situations of mass terminations.
Additional proposed regulatory changes would require employers to provide new hires with written information about their job, such as pay, work location and hours of work. The changes would also specify the date by which such information needs to be provided. Currently, the ESA requires employers to provide new employees with the latest version of the employment standards poster outlining ESA workplace rights and responsibilities.
We will be monitoring for the legislative amendments referred to in this announcement, and will provide further updates once they become available.
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