Some new NEW changes to the now-passed Employment Law Amendments

The Ontario Government has introduced some interesting new sections to the employment law amendments we have been telling you about over the past year.

Yesterday, the Ontario Legislature passed the final draft of Bill 148.  While is it not yet law, we can be sure it will receive Royal Assent in the coming days (since some sections of the law is to come into effect in early December 2017 and January 2018).

Here are the most recent changes that affect dentists:

• A definition has been added that provides that “substantially the same” work means “substantially the same but not necessarily identical” work;
• The first five days of domestic/sexual violence leave are to be paid;
• The “three hour rule” when paying employees has been updated;
• The rules for on-call workers have been updated;
• Critical Illness leave was changed significantly. Currently, an employee may take leave to provide care and support to their critically ill child; now, the new update says an employee is entitled to take leave to provide care and support to any critically ill family member.

DMC will compile and publish all of the Ontario employment law amendments in the coming days.