Toronto 
Ford government is bringing legislation to mandate companies to develop disconnecting from work policies and ban unfair non-compete agreements.
Working for Workers Act, 2021 which will be introduced in the legislature today will require employers with 25 employees or more to develop disconnecting from work policies. As per the news release, these workplace policies could include, for example, expectations about response time for emails and encouraging employees to turn on out-of-office notifications when they aren’t working.
The government says this will promote a healthy work-life balance as 29 per cent of Ontarians (aged 15 to 69) worked at least half their usual hours worked from home in September 2021.
The government also plans to prohibit employers from using non-compete agreements that often restrict employees from taking new jobs with another business in the same field after they leave the company. Ontario says if the legislation is passed, the province would be the first jurisdiction in Canada, and one of the first in North America, to ban non-compete agreements in employment.
Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton said, “Today’s proposed legislation shows Ontario is ready to lead the way into the workplaces of tomorrow, and create the conditions that will make talented, innovative people want to work in our great province.”
Other measures that are part of this legislation include is includes making it easier for internationally-trained individuals to practice in regulated professions, protecting vulnerable workers by establishing a licensing framework for recruiters and temporary help agencies, ensuring washroom access for delivery workers by requiring business owners to allow them to use the washrooms at the businesses they serve, and supporting businesses who continue to suffer from the impacts of COVID-19.
