Ontario has passed a law which makes it illegal for bosses to bug their employees after-hours.
The government of Ontariopassed the Working for Workers Act 2021, which was first proposed two months ago.
Lockdowns have restricted a lot of people to work from home and have in a way blurred the line between personal time and work time.
The act seeks to bring about a better work-life balance for workers and offer them the “right to disconnect” concept which has been generating more interest in North America since remote work boomed last year.
Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton said: Ontario wants to keep labour laws at “pace with the acceleration of new technology, automation, and remote work.
“We have introduced measures to make it easier to spend time with family and loved ones, requiring most workplaces have a right to disconnect policy.
“This legislation is another step towards building back a better province and cementing Ontario’s position as a global leader, for others to follow, as the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.”
The measures in the act include:
● Employers with 25 or more employees are required to have a written policy about employees having no connection from their job at the end of the workday to help employees spend more time with their families.
● Banning the use of non-compete agreements which prevent people from exploring other work opportunities in a bid to make it easier for workers to progress in their careers.
● Helping to remove barriers, like Canadian experience requirements, for internationally trained individuals to get licenced in a regulated profession and get access to jobs that match their qualifications and skills.
● Recruiters and temporary help agencies are required to have a licence to operate in Ontario to protect the exploitation of vulnerable employees.
● Business owners are required to allow delivery workers to use a company’s washroom when they are delivering or picking up items.
● Allow surpluses in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s Insurance Fund to be distributed over certain levels to businesses, helping them cope with the impacts of COVID-19.
● Enable the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to work with entities, such as the Canada Revenue Agency, to streamline remittances for businesses, enabling a way to give them an efficient one-stop-shop for submitting premiums and payroll deductions.
● Allow the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to gather information related to the agri-food workforce to ensure the government can enhance the coordination of services such as vaccination and testing, and respond to issues that may arise.
