Ontario Proposes Legislation on Right to Disconnect from Work | The Canadian News

TORONTO – Ontario will introduce legislation today that will propose a series of measures for workers, including right-to-disconnect policies.

Labor Minister Mount McNaughton says the bill aims to create conditions that attract talented and innovative people to work in Ontario.

The legislation would require employers with 25 or more employees to develop work-off policies, which could include expectations about response time for emails and encourage employees to activate out-of-office notifications when they are not working.

McNaughton says it’s especially important now, as the pandemic has blurred the lines between family time and work time.

“COVID-19 has changed the way we work, leaving too many people behind, struggling to put food on the table and
make ends meet for their families, “said McNaughton. “Our government is working for the workers. To do so, we must act quickly and decisively to put workers in the driver’s seat and begin to rebalance the scale.

He says the bill also proposes a ban on non-compete agreements, which often prevent workers from accepting a new job in the same field after leaving that company.

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It would also make it easier for immigrants to obtain a license to work in professions that match their area of ​​expertise, require temporary help agencies to have a license, and require companies to allow delivery drivers to use their restrooms.

“The legislation proposed today shows that Ontario is ready to lead the way to the workplaces of tomorrow and create the conditions that will make talented and innovative people want to work in our great province,” continued McNaughton.