Bill 148 Update and Handbook

On Wednesday, October 18, Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, passed second reading in the Ontario legislature. The legislation has gone back to committee for more amendments and to consider sectoral exemptions to labour and employment standards. At the same time, we have prepared a handbook for employers to help them prepare for the changes associated with Bill 148. Keep reading to find out more about these sectoral exemptions and about our handbook.

Sectoral Exemptions

Bill 148 passed second reading in the Ontario legislature and is now being reviewed by the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, the same committee that reviewed the legislation over the summer. The committee heard from witnesses on Monday and Tuesday, but they are accepting written submissions until this Friday, November 3.

The committee is focusing on certain exemptions to Employment Standards Act and is looking for input on exemptions and standards for the following professions:

  • architects;
  • domestic workers;
  • homemakers;
  • IT professionals;
  • managerial and supervisory employees;
  • pharmacists;
  • residential building superintendents;
  • janitors and caretakers; and
  • residential care workers.

If you have any comments or input you wish to submit, you can submit them here by Friday, November 3. For further guidelines on what kind of input the committee is looking for, check out this spreadsheet. You can also contact us here at the chamber at [email protected].

Bill 148 Handbook for Employers

To help prepare Greater Sudbury’s business community for Bill 148, your chamber, in collaboration with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the manage consulting firm MNP, has created a comprehensive handbook called Steering Through Change. This handbook will help businesses navigate the new costs and regulations associated with Bill 148. It provides a summary of the incoming changes, outlines the potential risks to business, and identifies strategies to help mitigate the impact.

The handbook includes important insights into the legislation and offers practical solutions and strategies to support businesses through the initial changes. As the implementation dates draw closer, employers will be able to turn to this handbook to understand the legislation and navigate change.

In addition, MNP and the OCC will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, November 2 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. to discuss the handbook and go into further detail about the full slate of changes Bill 148 will implement. Join the webinar to learn more, click here to register!

Remember, Bill 148 will come into effect on January 1, 2018, so you need to begin preparing for the changes now.

Author: Andy Veilleux