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What Employment Laws Will Look Like In The Future

By May 24, 2017November 5th, 2019Employment Law

Dentists in Ontario got a glimpse in how they will be expected to manage their employees in the future, with the release of the much-anticipated “Changing Workplaces Review“, finally made public on May 23, 2017.

The 420-page report contains 173 recommendations to changes to Ontario’s employment and labour laws.  Of the recommendations, the following list applies to dentists and their team members:

  • A change to permit dentists to form and join a union;
  • A new rule that states that part-time workers cannot be paid less for doing the same work as full-time workers (unless there is an objective reason for doing so, like seniority or merit);
  • A new rule that states an employee, after working for one year, can make an annual request to change their working hours or alter their location of work; the employer would have to respond in writing and the decision cannot be appealed;
  • A new rule for temporary workers to limit the length of time a temp worker can be paid less than regular workers;
  • Giving all employees up to 7 unpaid days of personal emergency leave;
  • Giving all employees 3 unpaid days of bereavement leave;
  • Forcing employers to pay for doctor’s notes if they request them;
  • Increasing minimum vacation to 3 weeks (and 6% pay) per employee (after working for 5 years with the same employer);
  • Removal of having to obtain Ministry approval for an employee working overtime hours between 48-60 hours;
  • Removal the the “blended” overtime rate of pay;
  • Include “dependent contractors” in the definition of “employees;” and
  • More ESA inspections and investigations, and stronger employer sanctions.

Interestingly, there was no recommendation to give every employee paid sick days.

Before these changes come into effect, now is a good time to review your employment contracts to ensure that they are compatible with the future changes.

As of now, these recommendations are just that – recommendations.  There has been no change in the law.  We will keep dentists up to date as soon as a law is drafted.

The Content of this post is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be legal, financial, tax, or other professional advice of any kind. You are advised to contact DMC (or other counsel) to seek specific legal advice concerning your individual situation.
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