Society contributes to employment law reform

The Society made oral and written submissions through the summer and fall to the provincial government’s Changing Workplaces Review that will recommend reforms to Ontario’s employment and labour laws.

The Changing Workplaces Review provides a once in a generation opportunity to review, renew and update Ontario’s laws governing employment and labour relations. Ontario’s labour laws have not kept pace with a changing workforce, changing workplaces, changing employment relationships, and changing labour markets.

The Society commended the government’s commitment to modernizing Ontario’s labour statutes. Both The Employment Standards Act and the Ontario Labour Relations Act need revision and updates to more appropriately reflect the realities confronting workers in Ontario today. The Society submitted a number of recommendations for amendments to both statutes, which will help achieve that objective.

The Society believes the Employment Standards Act will be significantly improved by revisions that create fair benchmarks for terms and working conditions for Ontario workers, and address Ontario’s contemporary realities, including the rise of temporary and contract work, triangular employment relationships, and misclassified “independent” contractors.

Similarly, the government has an opportunity to correct the damage done by years of anti-union animus, including the impact of mobile, aggressive transnational employers on the ability of unions to set the bar for terms and conditions of employment.

The Society looks forward to further contributing to the process of updating and improving the Employment Standards Act and Ontario Labour Relations Act as this process moves forward. To read The Society’s full submission, click here.