On December 6, 2018, the Ontario government introduced Bill 66,
Restoring Ontario's
Competitiveness Act, 2018 (Bill 66). Bill 66 proposes
changes to, among other things, Ontario's Employment
Standards Act, 2000 (ESA).
Bill 66 follows Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business
Act, 2018, which received royal assent on November 21, 2018
and will bring about significant changes to Ontario's labour
and employment laws. Details relating to Bill 47 can be found in
our November 2018
Blakes Bulletin: Ontario Passes Bill 47, Making Ontario Open
for Business Act, 2018.
Below is an overview of the changes that Bill 66 proposes to the
ESA.
Eliminating Need for Approval of the Director of
Employment Standards: If passed, Bill 66 will eliminate
the requirement for employers to obtain approval from the Director
of Employment Standards in order to (i) enter into agreements to
allow employees to work weekly hours in excess of 48 hours, and
(ii) enter into overtime averaging
