The Toronto mayoral by-election will be held on Monday, June 26, 2023, and voting hours will run from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Employers should be aware that under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (Act), all employees who are eligible to vote in the election are entitled to three consecutive hours during voting hours on…
Publication Name: Human Resources Legislative Update
Reminder: Naloxone Kit Requirements Effective June 1, 2023
As we reported previously, amendments to the Occupational Health & Safety Act in Bill 88, Working for Workers Act, 2022, which require certain employers to have a naloxone kit in the workplace, have been proclaimed into force effective June 1, 2023. On December 9, 2022, the Ontario government filed O. Reg. 559/22: Naloxone Kits, which…
Ontario Announces Changes to Mandatory Working at Heights Training Requirements for Programs and Providers
On May 17, 2023, Ontario announced changes to the training requirements for working at heights. The province has updated both the program and provider standards for mandatory working at heights training, noting that falling from heights is one of the leading causes of workplace fatality in a number of industries including construction. Currently, workers on…
Ontario Introduces Bill 91, Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023 and Announces Additional Amendments to Reduce Red Tape
On April 3, 2023, the Ontario government announced a range of measures related to pensions and employment (amongst other matters) in the province. On the same day, the government introduced Bill 91, Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023 (Bill 91) to implement some of those measures. Bill 91 and the additional measures are of…
Ontario Minimum Wage to Increase October 1, 2023
On March 31, 2023, the Ontario government announced that the general provincial minimum wage will increase from $15.50 to $16.55 per hour on October 1, 2023. This minimum wage applies to most employees. Minimum wage rates will also increase on the same date for the following groups of employees:
Federal Government to Extend Temporary Measures under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
On March 27, 2023, the federal government announced the extension of temporary measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. As stated in the announcement, the extended measures include: The government also announced that the TFW Program will begin transitioning to the LMIA Online Portal as the primary method to…
Federal Minimum Wage to Increase on April 1, 2023
On March 21, 2023, the federal government announced that the federal minimum wage will increase from $15.55 to $16.65 per hour on April 1, 2023. The increase applies to the federally regulated private sectors, including banks, postal and courier services, telecommunications, and interprovincial air, rail, road and marine transportation. Federally regulated private sector employers are…
Ontario Proposes New Requirements on Construction Sites
On March 15, 2023, Ontario announced proposed changes to jobsite requirements in the construction sector. If approved and filed, the proposed regulatory changes would require construction employers to provide safe, private, and clean restroom facilities, including a minimum of one designated washroom for women on every jobsite. The total number of restrooms required across most…
Federal Government Increases Minimum Age for Workers to 18
On March 9, 2023 the federal government proclaimed into force amendments to the Canada Labour Code (CLC) that increase the general minimum age for employment from 17 to 18 (subject to certain exceptions). The change comes into effect as of June 12, 2023. The amendments were enacted by the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2….
Ontario Proposes ESA Changes for Remote Workers and New Hires
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…