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Bill 149 Receives Royal Assent—New and Upcoming Legislative Changes for Ontario Employers

16 avril 2024

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Écrit par Benjamin Sissons, Katelyn Weller and Carl Cunningham

On March 21, 2024 Bill 149, Working for Workers Four Act, 2023 (Bill 149) received Royal Assent. As discussed in our initial blog, More Legislative Changes on the Horizon for Ontario Employers, late last year when the legislation was introduced, Bill 149 brings with it several changes to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and other employment-related legislation in Ontario, of which employers should be aware. Below is an overview of some of the more material changes to the ESA introduced by Bill 149, which will impact provincially regulated employers in Ontario.

In Force Immediately

The following amendments came into force immediately upon Bill 149 receiving Royal Assent on March 21:

In Force Effective June 21, 2024

Several amendments are slated to come into effect on June 21, 2024, giving employers a brief period of time to ensure compliance with the new requirements:

Amendments to Come into Force at a Later Date

Several of the most notable changes introduced by Bill 149 will be proclaimed in force at some later date:

Takeaways

The amendments to the ESA introduced through Bill 149 impose more stringent requirements on provincially regulated employers in Ontario, particularly with respect to hiring and employee pay practices. Employers should review their current policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the changes that took immediate effect, and with those that will soon be in effect. As always, employers should continue to monitor future legislative updates to ensure they are continuing to comply with their responsibilities, especially considering the relative frequency with which the legislature is rolling out these kinds of amendments.

If you have any questions about any of the requirements discussed in this blog, or any of the other requirements introduced as part of Bill 149, please do not hesitate to contact any of the authors listed above or any member of the Bennett Jones Employment Services group.

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