Helping members understand the latest round of changes to the Employment Standards Act

The Whitby Chamber of Commerce and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce have long called for labour reforms that are both reasonable for employers and fair to workers. We hope this notification helps our members remain engaged and informed.

Let’s break down what has happened up to this point:

• In November 2017, the Ontario Government passed Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017. This legislation significantly amended the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995, which are two of the many laws governing the relationship between employers and employees in Ontario. Employers were required to comply with majority of the changes as of January 1, 2018 or January 1, 2019.
• On October 23, 2018, the Ontario Government introduced Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018. In a press release, the Ontario Government stated that the purpose of the new legislation is to reduce regulatory burdens on employers. This impacts many of the changes Bill 148 made to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Labour Relations Act, 1995. The Ontario Government also proposed changing the skilled trades and apprenticeship model in Ontario.
• On November 21, 2018, Bill 47 was passed in the Ontario Legislature, officially becoming law. Employers are required to comply with many of the changes as of November 21, 2018 or January 1, 2019, as specified in the legislation.

Thank you to Mason Bennett Johncox for helping the WCC membership navigate the changes to the Employment Standards Act by creating this chart summarizing how Bill 47 impacts many of the amendments previously made to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 by Bill 148.