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ARTICLE · 30 NOVEMBER 2023

Changes To Ontario's Employment-Related Legislation Have Arrived

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As you may have heard or read in our earlier blog, More Changes to Ontario's Employment-Related Legislation Are on the Horizon, the Ontario government introduced Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023 in late March 2023.

CanadaEmployment and HR
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Bennett Jones LLP
Talia K. Bregman
Talia K. Bregman
Carl Cunningham
Carl Cunningham
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As you may have heard or read in our earlier blog, More Changes to Ontario's Employment-Related Legislation Are on the Horizon, the Ontario government introduced Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023 in late March 2023. On October 26, 2023, Bill 79 received Royal Assent, introducing changes to Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and other employment-related legislation in Ontario. Below is an overview of certain of the more material changes that came into force under Bill 79 on October 26, 2023 and which provincially-regulated employers in Ontario will need to be mindful of moving forward.

Changes to the ESA

Mass Terminations - Inclusion of Remote Workers

Under the ESA, employees are entitled to more notice of termination (or pay in lieu) if 50 or more employees are terminated at an employer's establishment within a four-week period, subject to limited exceptions. With the adoption of Bill 79, the definition of "establishment" under the ESA has

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