On August 21, 2024, the Ontario government launched consultations on the new Part III.1 (Job Postings) of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). This section was passed under Bill 149, Working for Workers Four Act, 2024, with further proposed amendments introduced in Bill 190, Working for Workers Five Act, 2024. While not yet in force,…
Industry: Energy & Utilities
Reminder: Temporary Help Agency and Recruiter Licensing Takes Effect on July 1, 2024
Readers are reminded that the new licensing regime for temporary help agencies (THAs) and recruiters operating in Ontario will take effect July 1, 2024. If you operate as a THA or recruiter, or if you use the services of THAs or recruiters, please read on. If you are doing business in Ontario as a THA…
Highlights of the 2024 Federal Budget and Budget Bill
On May 2, 2024, the federal government introduced Bill C-69, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024, for first reading. Bill C-69 contains legislation that, if passed, would enact certain measures outlined in the 2024 Budget, “Fairness for Every Generation” (Budget) that was previously tabled on…
Ontario Introduces Working for Workers Five Act, 2024
On May 6, 2024, the Ontario government introduced the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 (Bill 190). Bill 190 proposes amendments to various employment-related statutes, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. Some of these proposed amendments were discussed in our FTR Now of…
Important Amendments Made to the Temporary Help Agency and Recruiter Licensing Framework in Ontario
On July 1, 2023, a new licensing regime was introduced under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 for any temporary help agency (THA) or recruiter operating in Ontario. Of significant concern to many recruiters and THAs was the requirement to provide a $25,000 irrevocable line of credit in order to be licensed. While the new regime…
Ontario Proposes Changes to Sick Leave Under the Employment Standards Act, 2000
The Ontario government has announced it is proposing changes that would restrict an employer from requiring a medical note to substantiate an unpaid sick leave day under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). Currently, an employee who has been employed for at least two consecutive weeks is entitled to up to three days of unpaid…
Highlights of the 2024 Ontario Budget
On March 26, 2024, the Ontario government tabled its 2024 budget, “Building a Better Ontario” (Budget) and Bill 180, Building a Better Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2024 (Bill 180). In this FTR Now, we highlight information contained in the Budget and Bill 180 that is of broad interest to employers, human resources professionals and pension…
Working for Workers Four Act, 2024 Receives Royal Assent
On March 21, 2024, Ontario’s Bill 149, Working for Workers Four Act, 2024 (Bill 149) received Royal Assent. Bill 149 amends several statutes including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA), Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act, 2022 (DPWRA), and Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006…
Ontario Repeals Bill 124
On February 23, 2024, the Ontario government repealed Bill 124, Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019 (Act) in its entirety through an Order in Council, as was permitted by the Act. For more on the Act and the government’s prior announcement to repeal it, please see our FTR Now Ontario Court…
Employment Expenses: Updated Process and T2200 Form
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has published revised guidance on the process for claiming home office expenses for the 2023 taxation year just in time for tax season. The CRA has confirmed that the two temporary methods for claiming deductions for home office expenses—form T2200S, “Declaration of Conditions of Employment for Working at Home Due…