On October 23, 2018, the Ontario government formally announced
its intention to make significant changes to employment and labour
legislation in Ontario. In large part, these proposed changes will
reverse or amend the legislation that the government previously
passed through Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act,
2017. Some of the Bill 148 changes have already been phased in
during 2018, such as the 10 days of "personal emergency
leave" (two of which were paid) and the increase in minimum
wage to $14 per hour, while others were to have taken effect in
2019, such as the new scheduling requirements.
In the press release issued alongside the
announcement, the government states that the purpose of the new
legislation is to reduce regulatory burdens on employers by
repealing many aspects of Bill 148. This will involve changes to
the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Labour
Relations Act, 1995. In addition, the government has proposed
changing the skilled
