Unsafe Work Refusals Narrower After October 31 For Federal Workers

Amendments to the Canada Labour Code (CLC) introduced by the federal government in its omnibus Budget Bill C-4 last year are set to take effect on October 31, 2014. All of the amendments concern Part II of the CLC addressing Occupational Health and Safety.

While there are a number of changes to Part II the CLC, the most significant changes concern the threshold and procedure underlying unsafe work refusals, which seek to enhance the internal responsibility system shared between employees and employers in ensuring a safe workplace. In a Consultation Paper published by the Department of Finance, the federal government stated that the amendments arose in large part because "over 80% of refusals to work in the last 10 years – from 2003 to 2013 – have been determined to be situations of no danger, even after appeals."