Legislation | Occupational Health & Safety | Workplace Safety & Insurance | Employment

Bottom Line

Bill 190, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour and other matters – or the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 – has received Royal Assent today, October 29, 2024. As we previously wrote here, this Act amends a number of Ontario’s key employment-related statutes, most notably the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”); the Occupational Health and Safety Act (the “OHSA”); and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (the “WSIA”).

Takeaways

If not already completed, this is an excellent time to take the following actions:

• Review your current workplace harassment and violence policies or employee handbooks to ensure that employees are protected from virtual harassment.
• Review your attendance policies or employee handbooks to see whether revisions are necessary as a result of the changes to the ESA regarding sick leave.
• Consider what alternative documentation may be required in the event of an ESA-protected sick leave.
• Review your current occupational health and safety policies and consider whether revisions are necessary as a result of changes to the application of the OHSA to private residences and the new posting requirements.
• In advance of January 1, 2025, affected construction employers may want to plan to provide menstrual products on relevant job sites.

We are reviewing this Act in its final form, and will provide more...

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