Major changes are coming to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Labour Relations Act, 1995.
On May 30, 2017 the Changing Workplaces Review released their Final Report. The Final Report proposes 173 amendments including, (i) increase minimum wage to $14/hr effective January 1, 2018, and effective on January 1, 2019 to $15/hr, with yearly rate of inflation increases, (ii) increase personal emergency leave with 2 days each year with pay, (iii) equal pay for temporary and permanent employees of temporary help agencies doing the same work, (iv) equal pay for all employees doing the same job as full-time employees, (v) a minimum of 3 weeks’ vacation with service of 5 years or more, (vi) pay for at least 3 hours for shift cancellation within 48 hours of start time, (vii) Independent Contractors who are actually employees will be entitled to rights under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.
To enforce the new workplace laws, the Ministry of Labour will be hiring 175 employment standards officers to provide education on the new workplace laws and to enforce them with new procedures and increased fines.
Read the Changing Workplaces Review Summary Report
Read the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, Explanatory Note