Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour has released a new employment standards poster (link below) to coincide with recent legislative changes due to Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, which effectively reverses certain changes made by a widely publicized law enacted last year—Bill 148, The Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act, 2017. Previously, we wrote about both Bill 148 and Bill 47.
The new poster, dubbed version 8.0, replaces the previous poster.
Every employer with Ontario operations subject to provincial jurisdiction is required to display the most recent version of the poster in at least one conspicuous place in each workplace where it is likely to come to the attention of employees. Every employer must also provide the latest version to each current employee. A new employee must be provided a copy of the most recent poster within 30 days of hire.
Where the majority language of a workplace is not English, the employer must also post the poster in the majority language if the Minister has prepared a copy of the poster in that language. This version must be posted next to the English version of the poster. If an employee requests a translation of the poster into a language other than English, the employer must make enquiries as to whether the Minister of Labour has prepared that translation, and if so, the employer must provide the employee with a copy.
Please click here to be redirected to an English PDF version of the poster on the Ministry of Labour website. According to the Ministry, posters sold by private companies do not comply with posting requirements.
We note that Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018, was carried through first reading on December 6, 2018. If passed, employers will no longer be required to display the poster in the workplace, but employers will still be obligated to provide a copy to new employees within 30 days of hire and the most recent copy to all employees. It would also shift responsibility for publishing new posters from the Minister of Labour to the Director of Employment Standards.
Until Bill 66 is passed, employers should ensure proper display of the poster in the workplace. We will issue further alerts on the progress of Bill 66 as it works its way through the legislative process.
