On Oct. 23, 2018, the Ontario Government introduced Bill 47:
Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 ("Bill
47"). Bill 47
seeks to repeal most of the amendments to the Employment
Standards Act, 2000 ("ESA")
enacted by what we have now come to refer to as Bill 148, formally
entitled the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017
("Bill 148"), passed in the final
stretch of the Liberal's most recent term in power.
Bill
148 made significant and controversial amendments to the
ESA and
Labour Relations Act ("LRA"), most of
which were not well received by employers. Bill 148,
introduced in June of 2017, stalled for several months leading up
to and following first reading. Bill 148 then
rapidly went through second and third reading, finally being passed
on November 22, 2017, leaving very little time for employers to
prepare for the changes, many of which took effect immediately or
on January 1, 2018. Employers were, however, provided limited
lead time before the Equal
