On November 30, 2021, the Government of Ontario passed Bill 27, the Working for Workers Act,
2021. Bill 27 amends a number of statutes, including the
Employment Standards Act and the Occupational Health
and Safety Act.
According to the government, this legislation achieves a number
of goals, including improving employees' work-life balance,
prohibiting noncompete agreements to increase competition in
business and labour markets, facilitating the registration of
internationally trained professionals, and implementing a licensing
regime for temporary help agencies and recruiters.
Amendments to the Employment Standards Act,
2000
Right to Disconnect from Work
The Working for Workers Act, 2021requires that
employers with 25 or more employees at the beginning of the year
implement a written "disconnect from work" policy
regarding disconnecting from work during nonworking hours. Under
the act, the term "disconnecting from work" is defined as
"engaging in
