The impacts of Bill 148 continue to be felt by Ontario employers as even more significant changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the ESA) are starting to come into effect.
As of April 1, 2018, the ESA will require Ontario employers to refrain from providing different rates of pay to different employees solely on the basis of employment status. Casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal workers must all receive the same rate of pay as full-time or permanent employees performing substantially the same kind of work in the same establishment where the work requires substantially the same skill, effort and responsibility and is performed under similar conditions. Employers will still be able to differentiate based on seniority, a merit system, a system that measures quality or quantity of production and any other objective factor not related to the sex of the employee.
For more information about the continuing implications of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act 2017, please review our previous summaries and discussion of the legislation:
- Bill 148 Receives Royal Assent, Significantly Altering Labour and Employment Laws in Ontario
- Bill 148: More Obligations for Ontario Employers
- Changes Workplaces Review: Ontario Government Announces Significant Changes to Employment Standards Act
- Changes Workplaces Review: Ontario Government Announces Significant Changes to Labour Relations Act
Questions or concerns? Please contact a member of the Cassels Employment & Labour law team.