The pandemic has changed the landscape of an employee’s work life in its entirety. Employees were uprooted from their normal routines and required to work from their homes. The result? Growing concerns regarding burnout and a blurring of lines between work and home life. This alert will explore Canada’s recent legislative policy aimed at employee welfare and giving its citizens a right to disconnect.
Bill 27
Bill 27, also known as the Working for Workers Act (2021), was introduced to combat growing concerns around employee well-being and their ability to distinguish between work and home life. The bill introduced a number of amendments to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (2000) but the most significant amendment is the Right to Disconnect—an amendment requiring employers of 25 or more employees to have a written policy in place regarding employees’ right to disconnect from work. The policy was ultimately implemented on June 2, 2022.
What is the Right to Disconnect?
The Western Culture has in many ways become an "Always On” Culture. Because of the internet and our other means of communication, there is an expectation of an instant response and always being available 24/7. Corporate culture has implemented this notion requiring employees to always be connected, making the idea of “switching off” even harder for workers to comprehend or even consider.
The pandemic made this task even more difficult. According to a...
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