Ontario Holds More Hearings on Bill 148

Oct 30, 2017

Ontario’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs (Committee) is holding another round of public consultations this week in Toronto with respect to Bill 148, The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act.

Bill 148 passed second reading on October 18 after debate in the Ontario Legislature. If passed, the bill, would

• raise Ontario’s general minimum wage to $14 per hour on January 1, 2018, and then to $15 on January 1, 2019, followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation

• mandating equal pay for part-time, temporary, casual and seasonal employees doing the same job as full-time employees, and equal pay for temporary help agency employees doing the same job as permanent employees at the agencies’ client companies

• expand personal emergency leave to 10 days with an across-the-board minimum of at least 2 paid days per year for all workers

• provide workers with up to 17 weeks off without the fear of losing their job when they or their child has experienced or is threatened with domestic or sexual violence

• bring Ontario’s vacation time in line with the national average by ensuring at least three weeks vacation after five years with a company

• make employee scheduling fairer, including requiring employees to be paid for three hours of work if their shift is cancelled within 48 hours of its scheduled start time

The government will also propose measures to expand family leaves and make certain that employees are not misclassified as independent contractors, ensuring they get the benefits they deserve.

In 2016, the median hourly wage was $13.00 for part-time workers and $24.73 for full-time workers. Over the past 30 years, part-time work has grown to represent nearly 20% of total employment. Currently, half of the workers in Ontario earning less than $15 per hour are between the ages of 25 and 64, and most are women.

An electronic version of Bill 148 is available on the Legislative Assembly website at: www.ontla.on.ca.