Bill 148 - Dec 2017

Ontario’s “Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act” (Bill 148, 2017)

may impact your business effective January 1, 2018.

Minimum Wages will increase 32 percent over the next 13 months as follows:

Note: After January 1, 2019, a further increase will affect the minimum wage and will be indexed to inflation. This amount will be announced in spring 2019, and will take effect on October 1, 2019.

Personal Emergency Leave – January 1, 2018

Employees are entitled up to Ten (10) days of personal emergency leave (PEL) per calendar year after one week of employment. The first two days must be paid at the regular rate.

PEL can be taken for:

• A personal illness or medical emergency
• The death, illness, injury or medical emergency of a family member or person the employee considers a family member.
• An urgent matter concerning a family member or person an employee considers a family member.
• As an employer, you are not allowed to request a doctor’s note as proof for the leave.

Vacation – January 1, 2018

• All employees who have worked with your company for at least five years will be entitled to three weeks vacation.
• Vacation pay will be calculated at six (6) percent for employees who have five or more years with your company.

Substitute Public Holidays – January 1, 2018

• Employees must be given with written notice of substitute public holidays. The notice must include the holiday on which the employee will work, the date of the day being substituted for the holiday, and the date on which the notice is provided to the employee.

Enforcement – January 1, 2018

• The Ontario government will hire additional employment standards inspectors by 2020-2021 to ensure the new rules are followed.