Ontario Bill 30 (44th Parliament, 1st Session)
Bill 30, 44-1
Ontario — Bills
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Bill 30, Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025
Piccini, Hon. David Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Current status:
Royal Assent received. Statutes of Ontario 2025,
chapter 13
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EXPLANATORY
NOTE
This Explanatory Note was written as a reader’s
aid to Bill 30 and does not form part of the law.
Bill 30 has been enacted as
Chapter 13 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2025.
SCHEDULE 1
CITY OF TORONTO ACT, 2006
new
section 25.1 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 authorizes
the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations imposing limits and
conditions on the power of the City under the Act in relation to one or more
classes of certain undertakings relating to training or
skills development, or providing that the City cannot exercise the power in
specified circumstances.
The
Schedule also amends the Act to refer to regulations under the Planning
Act
respecting the application of sections 113 and 114 of the City
of Toronto Act, 2006 to certain undertakings relating to training or skills
development.
SCHEDULE 2
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ACT, 2000
The
Schedule amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000
as follows:
1. A
new provision is added requiring persons who operate job posting platforms to
have a mechanism or procedure for users of the platform to report fraudulent publicly
advertised job postings to the person operating the job posting platform and to
have a written policy with respect to fraudulent publicly advertised job
postings.
2. A
new
section is added permitting job seeking leave. The new
section provides
that, if 50 or more employees receive notice of termination, an employee who
receives such a notice is entitled to three days leave of absence without pay
to engage in activities related to obtaining employment.
3. The
Act is also amended to permit extended lay-offs in certain circumstances. The
lay-off may be 35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks, but not
52 or more weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks. An extended lay-off is
permitted if employer and employee agree to it and the Director approves.
Various related and consequential amendments are made.
SCHEDULE 3
MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001
A new
section 451.2 of the Municipal Act, 2001 authorizes the Lieutenant Governor in
Council to make regulations imposing limits and conditions on the power of a
municipality under the Act in relation to one or more classes of certain
undertakings relating to training or skills development, or providing that a
municipality cannot exercise the power in specified circumstances.
SCHEDULE 4
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT
Section
7.6.1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act is
amended to provide that health and safety management systems accredited under
that
section must be treated as equivalents.
The
Act is amended to provide for the reimbursement to certain employers of
defibrillator costs.
New
Part IX.1 of the Act establishes an administrative penalty scheme. Inspectors
are authorized to issue administrative penalty notices and may impose
administrative penalties for contraventions of or failures to comply with the
Act in amounts determined in accordance with the regulations.
The
Lieutenant Governor in Council is given authority to make regulations relating
to the amendments.
SCHEDULE 5
ONTARIO IMMIGRATION ACT, 2015
The
Schedule amends the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015
to provide that, when carrying out an inspection, an inspector may require a
person to attend an in-person interview separate and apart from other persons.
The regulation-making powers are also amended to permit certain
regulation-making powers to be delegated from the Lieutenant Governor in
Council to the Minister.
SCHEDULE 6
PLANNING ACT
The
Schedule amends the Planning
Act
to provide that certain undertakings relating to training or skills
development
are not subject to the Act or
section 113 or 114 of the City
of Toronto Act, 2006 , and to add related regulation-making powers.
SCHEDULE 7
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND INSURANCE ACT, 1997
The
Schedule amends the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act,
1997 . Here are some highlights:
New
section 22.2 of the Act prohibits an employer from making a false or misleading
statement or representation to the Board in connection with any person’s claim
for benefits under the insurance plan.
Sections
80 and 89 of the Act are amended to provide for administrative penalties.
Under
new
section 152.1 of the Act, a contravention of
section 88 is an offence.
Section
158 of the Act is amended to provide that persons convicted of two or more
counts of the same offence in the same legal proceeding are liable to a maximum
penalty of $750,000 for each conviction. A list of aggravating factors to be
considered in determining a penalty is also added.
Bill 30 2025
Act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour and other
matters
CONTENTS
Preamble
Contents
of this Act
Commencement
Short
title
Schedule 1
City
of Toronto Act, 2006
Schedule 2
Employment
Standards Act, 2000
Schedule 3
Municipal
Act, 2001
Schedule 4
Occupational
Health and Safety Act
Schedule 5
Ontario
Immigration Act, 2015
Schedule 6
Planning
Act
Schedule 7
Workplace
Safety and Insurance Act, 1997
Preamble
The
Government of Ontario continues to:
Protect
Ontario workers and their families by creating safer workplaces and fighting
worker abuse with stronger penalties for those trying to exploit Ontario
workers.
Grow
and strengthen Ontario’s skilled trade workforce by helping workers access
better training, better jobs and bigger paycheques.
Keep
costs down for workers and businesses to make Ontario the most competitive
place to invest, create jobs and do business.
Therefore,
His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of
the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:
Contents
of this Act
1 This Act consists of this section, sections 2
and 3 and the Schedules to this Act.
Commencement
(1) Except
as otherwise provided in this section, this Act comes into force on the day it
receives Royal Assent.
(2) The
Schedules to this Act come into force as provided in each Schedule.
(3) If
a
Schedule to this Act provides that any of its provisions are to come into
force on a day to be named by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, an
order may apply to one or more of those provisions, and orders may be issued at
different times with respect to any of those provisions.
Short
title
3 The
short title of this Act is the Working for Workers
Seven Act, 2025 .
SCHEDULE 1
CITY OF TORONTO ACT, 2006
The City of Toronto Act, 2006 is amended by adding
the following section:
Regulations,
undertakings re training and skills development
25.1
(1) If the
Lieutenant Governor in Council considers that it is necessary or desirable to
do so, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations imposing limits
and conditions on the power of the City under this Act in relation to one or
more classes of undertaking described in subsection (2), or providing that the
City cannot exercise the power in specified circumstances.
Same
(2) Subsection
(1) applies to an undertaking that entails,
(
a) the
development or redevelopment of a building, structure or part of a building or
structure, where,
(
i) the
development or redevelopment is funded in part pursuant to a funding agreement
entered into by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills
Development, and
(ii) the
building, structure or part of the building or structure is to be used for
training or skills development purposes agreed to in the funding agreement; or
(
b) the use of a building, structure or part
of a building or structure referred to in clause (a), or the use of the parcel
of land on which the building or structure is located, for training or skills
development purposes agreed to in the funding agreement.
Same
(3) If
a regulation under subsection (1) imposes limits or conditions on a power of
the City or provides that the City cannot exercise a power in specified
circumstances, any by-law made by the City under the applicable power is
inoperative to the extent of the limits, conditions or prohibition.
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Non-application
of s. 113 or 114 — training or skills development undertakings
114.4 A regulation made for
the purposes of
section 62.0.4 of the Planning Act
may provide that
section 113 or 114 of this Act applies, or may set out
restrictions or limitations with respect to their application, to an
undertaking or class of undertakings described in
section 62.0.4 of the Planning Act .
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
SCHEDULE 2
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ACT, 2000
Section 8.1 of the Employment Standards Act, 2000
is amended by adding the following definition:
“job
posting platform” means an online platform that displays publicly advertised
job postings but does not include,
(
a) an online platform operated by an
employer that only advertises publicly advertised job postings for positions
with the employer, or
(
b) an
online platform that meets such criteria as may be prescribed; (“plateforme
d’affichage de postes”)
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Mechanism
for reporting fraudulent publicly advertised job postings
8.7
(1) A person
who operates a job posting platform shall ensure it has a mechanism or
procedure in place for users of the job posting platform to report fraudulent publicly
advertised job postings to the person operating the job posting platform and
shall display the mechanism or procedure in a conspicuous place on the job
posting platform where it is likely to come to the attention of the users of
the job posting platform.
Policy
on fraudulent publicly advertised job postings
(2) A
person who operates a job posting platform shall have a written policy with
respect to fraudulent publicly advertised job postings, which shall include,
(
a) information
about how the person will address fraudulent publicly advertised job postings;
and
(
b) any
other prescribed information.
Posting
(3) A
person who operates a job posting platform shall post and keep posted a copy of
the written policy in at least one conspicuous place on the job posting
platform where it is likely to come to the attention of the users of the job
posting platform.
Complaints
(4) A
person may not file a complaint under subsection 96 (1) alleging a
contravention of this
section or have such a complaint investigated.
(1) Subsection 15 (7) of the Act is amended by striking out “or
reservist leave” and substituting “reservist leave or job seeking leave”.
(2) Section
15 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Retention
of fraudulent publicly advertised job postings policy
(8.3) A
person who operates a job posting platform shall retain, or arrange for some
other person to retain, copies of every written policy on fraudulent publicly
advertised job postings required under subsection 8.7 (2) for three years after
the policy ceases to be in effect.
(3) Section
15 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Retention
of extended lay-off agreements
(10) An
employer shall retain or arrange for some other person to retain copies of
every agreement for an extended lay-off that the employer has made with an
employee under subsection 66.1 (1) for three years after the date the approval
of the extended lay-off expires under subsection 66.1 (8).
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Job
Seeking Leave
Job
seeking leave
50.3
(1) Subject
to subsection (10), an employee to whom notice has been given under
section 58
of the Act is entitled to a leave of absence without pay to engage in
activities related to obtaining employment, including job searches, interviews
and training.
Same,
limit
(2) An
employee’s entitlement to leave under this
section is limited to a total of
three days during the notice period.
Same,
unpaid
(3) Clause
60 (1) (
b) of the Act does not apply to any leave taken under this section.
Advising
employer
(4) An
employee who wishes to take a leave under this
section shall advise the
employer that the employee will be doing so at least three days before
beginning the leave, if possible.
Leave
deemed to be taken in entire days
(5) For
the purposes of an employee’s entitlement under subsection (1), if an employee
takes any part of a day as leave under this section, the employer may deem the
employee to have taken one day of leave on that day.
Evidence
(6) An
employer may require an employee who takes leave under this
section to provide
evidence reasonable in the circumstances that the employee is entitled to the
leave.
Job
seeking leave taken under employment contract
(7) If
an employee takes a paid or unpaid leave of absence under an employment
contract in circumstances for which the employee would also be entitled to take
a leave under this section, the employee is deemed to have taken the leave
under this section.
Same,
application of Act to deemed leave
(8) All
applicable requirements and prohibitions under this Act apply to a leave deemed
to have been taken under subsection (7).
Same,
application of subs. (5) to deemed leave
(9) Subsection
(5) applies with necessary modifications to a leave deemed to have been taken
under subsection (7).
Exception
where pay instead of notice
(10) If
an employer, in accordance with
section 61, terminates an employee with a
period of notice that is 25 per cent of the notice required under
section 58,
or less, the employee is not entitled to leave under this section.
(1) Clause 56 (2) (
c) of the Act is amended by striking out “a
lay-off longer than a lay-off described in clause (b)” and substituting “a
lay-off of 35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks”.
(2) Subsection
56 (2) of the Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of clause (b), by adding
“or” at the end of clause (
c) and by adding the following clause:
(
d) in
the case of an employee who is not represented by a trade union, a lay-off of
35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks, if the lay-off is less
than 52 weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks and,
(
i) the
employer recalls the employee within the time set out in an agreement between
the employer and employee, and
(ii) the
employer has received an approval for an extended lay-off from the Director
under subsection 66.1 (6).
(3) Subsection
56 (3) of the Act is amended by striking out “(3.6)” and substituting “(3.8)”.
(4) Subsection
56 (3.2) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:
Effect
of excluded week
(3.2) For
the purposes of clauses (2) (a), (
b) and (d), an excluded week shall be counted
as part of the periods of 20, 52 and 78 weeks, as the case may be.
(5) Section
56 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsections:
Lay-off,
no regular work week
(3.7) For
the purposes of clauses (1) (
c) and (2) (
d) and subject to the regulations, if
any, an employee who does not have a regular work week is laid off for a period
longer than the period of a temporary lay-off if for 52 or more weeks in any
period of 78 consecutive weeks the employee earns less than one-half the
average amount the employee earned per week in the period of 12 consecutive
weeks that preceded the 78-week period.
Effect
of excluded week
(3.8) For
the purposes of subsection (3.7) and subject to the regulations, if any,
(
a) an
excluded week shall not be counted as part of the 52 or more weeks but shall be
counted as part of the 78-week period; and
(
b) if
the 12-week period contains an excluded week, the average amount earned shall
be calculated based on the earnings in weeks that were not excluded weeks and
the number of weeks that were not excluded.
(1) Clause 63 (1) (
c) of the Act is repealed and the following
substituted:
(
c) the
employer lays the employee off for 35 or more weeks in any period of 52
consecutive weeks or, where the
Director has approved an extended lay-off under subsection 66.1 (6), beyond the date the approval expires under subsection 66.1
(8).
(2) Subsections
63 (2.2) to (2.4) of the Act are repealed and the following substituted:
Effect
of excluded week
(2.2) For
the purposes of clause (1) (c), an excluded week shall be counted as part of
the period of 52 weeks or 78 weeks, as the case may be.
Lay-off,
no regular work week
(2.3) For
the purposes of clause (1) (
c) and subject to the regulations, if any,
(
a) an employee who does not have a regular work week is
laid off for 35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks if, for 35
or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks the employee earns less
than one-quarter the average amount the employee earned per week in the period
of 12 consecutive weeks that preceded the 52-week period ; or
(
b) an
employee who does not have a regular work week is laid off for 52 or more weeks
in any period of 78 consecutive weeks if, for 52 or more weeks in any period of
78 consecutive weeks the employee earns less than one-quarter the average
amount the employee earned per week in the period of 12 consecutive weeks that
preceded the 78-week period.
Effect
of excluded week
(2.4) For
the purposes of subsection (2.3) and subject to the regulations, if any,
(
a) an
excluded week shall not be counted as part of the 35 or more weeks, but shall
be counted as part of the 52-week period or, where the Director has approved an
extended lay-off under subsection 66.1 (6), an excluded week shall not be
counted as part of the 52 or more weeks, but shall be counted as part of the
78-week period; and
(
b) if
the 12-week period contains an excluded week, the average amount earned shall
be calculated based on the earnings in weeks that were not excluded weeks and
the number of weeks that were not excluded.
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Extended
lay-off
Agreement
with employee
66.1
(1) An employer and an employee may
agree to a lay-off that is 35 or
more weeks
in any period of 52 consecutive weeks , but may not agree to a lay-off of 52 or more
weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks.
withdrawal
(2) Once
an employee has agreed to an extended lay-off described in subsection (1), the
employee may not withdraw such agreement.
Agreement
(3) An
agreement for an extended lay-off is not valid unless, before the agreement was
made, the employer had provided to the employee, in writing,
(
a) the
latest date the employer intends to recall the employee; and
(
b) a
statement of the rule set out in subsection (2).
Application
for approval
(4) An
employer who has entered into an agreement described in subsection (1) with one
or more employees may apply to the Director for approval of the extended
lay-off.
Application
form
(5) The
application shall be in a form approved by the Director and shall include the
prescribed information, if any.
Approval
(6) The
Director may issue an approval to the employer allowing an extended lay-off.
Employees
to whom approval applies
(7) An
approval only applies to an employee who entered into an agreement described in
subsection (1).
Expiry
(8) An
approval expires on the earlier of,
(
a) the
date referred to in clause (3) (a); and
(
b) the first day on which the lay-off is 52
or more weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks.
Further
applications
(9) For greater certainty, nothing
in this
section prevents an employer from applying for a further approval
before an approval expires pursuant to clause (8) (a), provided that the period
the employee has been laid off and the further period applied for is not 52 or
more weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks.
Same
(10) The
requirements of this
section apply to any further applications and approvals.
Exception
(11) This
section does not apply to an
employee who is represented by a trade union.
Clause 67 (1) (
a) is repealed and the following substituted:
(
a) termination
pay under
section 61 because of a lay-off of 35 or more weeks or, where the Director has
approved an extended lay-off under subsection 66.1 (6), beyond the date the
approval expires under subsection 66.1 (8).
(1) Subsection 141 (1) of the Act is amended by adding the following
paragraph:
12.1 Establishing
rules for determining whether an employee who does not have a regular work week
is laid off for a period longer than the period of a temporary lay-off for the
purposes of clauses 56 (1) (c), 56 (2) (d), and 63 (1) (c).
(2) Section
141 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Retroactive
regulation
(1.1.1) A
regulation made under paragraph 12.1 of subsection (1) is, if it so provides,
effective with reference to a period before it is filed.
Commencement
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this
Schedule
comes into force on the day the Working for Workers Seven
Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
(2) Sections
1 and 2 and subsection 3 (2) come into force on the later of the day subsection
2 (1) of
Schedule 2 to the Working for Workers Four Act,
2024 comes into force and the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
SCHEDULE 3
MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001
1 The Municipal Act, 2001
is amended by adding the following section:
Regulations,
undertakings re training and skills development
451.2
(1) If the
Lieutenant Governor in Council considers that it is necessary or desirable to
do so, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations imposing limits
and conditions on the power of a municipality under this Act in relation to one
or more classes of undertaking described in subsection (2), or providing that a
municipality cannot exercise the power in specified circumstances.
Same
(2) Subsection
(1) applies to an undertaking that entails,
(
a) the
development or redevelopment of a building, structure or part of a building or
structure, where,
(
i) the
development or redevelopment is funded in part pursuant to a funding agreement
entered into by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills
Development, and
(ii) the
building, structure or part of the building or structure is to be used for
training or skills development purposes agreed to in the funding agreement; or
(
b) the
use of a building, structure or part of a building or structure referred to in
clause (a), or the use of the parcel of land on which the building or structure
is located, for training or skills development purposes agreed to in the
funding agreement.
Same
(3) If
a regulation under subsection (1) imposes limits or conditions on a power of a
municipality or provides that a municipality cannot exercise a power in
specified circumstances, any by-law made by a municipality under the applicable
power is inoperative to the extent of the limits, conditions or prohibition.
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal
Assent.
SCHEDULE 4
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT
Subsection 1 (1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
is amended by adding the following definition:
“defibrillator”
means an automated external medical heart monitor and defibrillator that is
capable of,
(
a) recognizing
the presence or absence of ventricular fibrillation or rapid ventricular
tachycardia,
(
b) determining,
without intervention by an operator, whether defibrillation should be
performed,
(
c) automatically
charging and requesting delivery of an electrical impulse to an individual’s
heart as medically required, and
(
d) satisfying
any other prescribed criteria; (“défibrillateur”)
Section 7.6.1 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Equivalency
(4) Subject
to the regulations, health and safety management systems accredited under this
section are equivalents and shall be treated as such for any purpose for which
they are required.
(1) The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Defibrillator
reimbursements
Definition
22.0.1
(1) In this
section, “Board” means the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, despite the
definition of “Board” in subsection 1 (1).
Reimbursement
(2) If
a person who is an employer within the meaning of the Workplace
Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 and who meets such other criteria as may
be prescribed is subject to a requirement under this Act or the regulations to
equip a workplace with a defibrillator and the person equips a workplace with a
defibrillator, the Board shall, in accordance with the regulations, reimburse
that person for the cost of the defibrillator.
Same,
form and timing
(3) The
Board may determine the form and timing of reimbursements made under this
section.
Overpayment
(4) An
overpayment made by the Board under subsection (2) is deemed to be an
overpayment owing to the Board under the Workplace Safety
and Insurance Act, 1997 .
right of reconsideration or appeal
(5) A
determination made by the Board regarding a person’s entitlement to
reimbursement under this
section is not a final decision of the Board for the
purposes of
Part XI of the Workplace Safety and Insurance
Act, 1997 and a person has no right of reconsideration by, or appeal to,
the Board or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal in respect of
a determination made by the Board under this section.
Immunity
(6) No
action or other legal proceeding may be commenced against the Board or a member
of the board of directors, an officer or an employee of the Board in respect of
an act or omission done or omitted by a person in good faith in the execution
or intended execution of any power or duty under this section.
Regulations
(7) The
Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations governing reimbursements
under this section, including but not limited to regulations,
(
a) governing
the process for applying for a reimbursement;
(
b) prescribing
criteria that a person must meet in order to be eligible for a reimbursement;
(
c) establishing
time limits for applying for a reimbursement and for the payment of
reimbursements by the Board;
(
d) establishing
maximum amounts that may be paid for a reimbursement or to a person eligible
for a reimbursement;
(
e) establishing
reporting requirements in respect of reimbursements paid;
(
f) setting
out any conditions or limits on reimbursements.
(2) Section
22.0.1 of the Act, as enacted by subsection (1), is repealed.
The Act is amended by adding the following Part:
PART IX.1
ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES
Administrative
penalty
69.1
(1) If an
inspector finds that a person has contravened or failed to comply with a
provision of this Act or the regulations, an order or requirement of an
inspector or Director, or an order of the Minister, the inspector may impose an
administrative penalty against the person in accordance with this
section and
the regulations by issuing and serving a notice of administrative penalty on
the person.
Notice
of administrative penalty
(2) A
notice of administrative penalty shall contain or be accompanied by information
setting out the nature of the contravention or failure to comply, the amount of
the penalty to be paid and such other information as may be prescribed.
Purpose
(3) The
purpose of an administrative penalty is to promote compliance with the
requirements established by this Act and the regulations.
Amount
of penalty
(4) The
amount of the administrative penalty shall be determined in accordance with the
regulations.
Penalty
within range
(5) If
a range has been prescribed for an administrative penalty, the inspector shall
determine the amount of the penalty in accordance with the prescribed criteria,
if any.
Service
(6) A
notice issued under this
section shall be served on the person in accordance
with the regulations.
Payment
(7) A
person who has been issued a notice under this
section shall pay the amount of
the administrative penalty to the Minister of Finance.
Review
(8) A
person who has been issued a notice under this
section may, in accordance with
the regulations, request a review of the notice by a person or entity
prescribed for the purpose of this subsection and the prescribed person or
entity may, in accordance with the regulations, confirm, vary or set aside the
notice.
Enforcement
(9) An
administrative penalty that is not paid in accordance with the notice imposing
it is a debt due to the Crown and may be recovered in accordance with the
regulations.
Publication
(10) The
Minister may publish information about an administrative penalty imposed under
this
section in accordance with the regulations.
Effect
of paying penalty
(11) If
a person pays the administrative penalty in accordance with the terms of the
notice, that person cannot be charged with an offence under this Act in respect
of the same contravention or failure to comply.
Subsection 70 (2) of the Act is amended by adding the following paragraphs:
57. governing
equivalency and requirements related to the use on a project of health and
safety management systems accredited by the Chief Prevention Officer under
section 7.6.1, including, but not limited to, procurement or tendering
requirements related to accredited health and safety management systems that
project owners, constructors, employers or persons acting on their behalf, may
impose on a project.
58. prescribing
and governing record-keeping requirements related to the use on a project of
health and safety management systems accredited by the Chief Prevention Officer
under
section 7.6.1.
59. governing
administrative penalties and all matters necessary and incidental to the
administration of a system of administrative penalties under this Act.
Commencement
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this
Schedule
comes into force on the day the Working for Workers Seven
Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
(2) Subsection
3 (2) comes into force on a day to be named by order of the Lieutenant Governor
in Council.
SCHEDULE 5
ONTARIO IMMIGRATION ACT, 2015
Clause 23 (3) (
b) of the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015
is amended by adding “and may require that a person attend an in-person
interview separate and apart from other persons” at the end.
Clause 37 (1) (
h) of the Act is amended by striking out “subclause (e) (ii)” at
the end and substituting “subclauses (e) (
i) and (ii)”.
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
SCHEDULE 6
PLANNING ACT
The Planning Act is amended by adding the following
section:
Undertakings,
training or skills development
62.0.4
(1) Except
as otherwise prescribed, an undertaking is not subject to this Act or
section
113 or 114 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 if it
entails,
(
a) the development or redevelopment of a
building, structure or part of a building or structure, where,
(
i) the
development or redevelopment is funded in part pursuant to a funding agreement
entered into by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills
Development, and
(ii) the
building, structure or part of the building or structure is to be used for
training or skills development purposes agreed to in the funding agreement; or
(
b) the
use of a building, structure or part of a building or structure referred to in
clause (a), or the use of the parcel of land on which the building or structure
is located, for training or skills development purposes agreed to in the
funding agreement.
Exception,
Greenbelt Area
(2) Subsection
(1) does not apply to an undertaking on any land in the Greenbelt Area.
Subsection 70 (1) of the Act is amended by adding the following clause:
(
k) for the purposes of subsection 62.0.4
(1),
(
i) providing
that this Act or
section 113 or 114 of the City of Toronto
Act, 2006 , or provisions thereof, apply to an undertaking or class of
undertakings described in that subsection, or
(ii) setting
out restrictions or limitations with respect to the application of this Act or
of a provision referred to in subclause (i).
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
SCHEDULE 7
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND INSURANCE ACT, 1997
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 is
amended by adding the following section:
Prohibition,
false or misleading statement
22.2
(1) No
employer shall make a false or misleading statement or representation to the
Board in connection with any person’s claim for benefits under the insurance
plan.
Administrative
penalty
(2) An
employer who contravenes subsection (1) shall pay the prescribed amount to the
Board. This payment is in addition to any penalty imposed by a court for an
offence under subsection 149 (1).
Section 80 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Administrative
penalty
(3) An
employer who fails to comply with subsection (1) or who fails to comply with a
requirement of the Board under subsection (2) shall pay the prescribed amount
to the Board. This payment is in addition to any penalty imposed by a court for
an offence under
section
Section 89 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Administrative
penalty
(4) An
employer who does not pay premiums when they become due shall pay the
prescribed amount to the Board. This payment is in addition to any amounts
payable to the Board under subsections (1) and (2) and any penalty imposed by a
court for an offence under
section 152.1.
(1) Paragraph 4 of subsection 135 (1) of the Act is amended by
adding “22.2, 80 or 88” at the end.
(2) Paragraph
5 of subsection 135 (2) of the Act is amended by adding “22.2, 80 or 88” at the
end.
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Offence,
failure to pay premiums
152.1
(1) A person
who fails to comply with
section 88 is guilty of an offence.
Restitution
order
(2) If
a person is convicted of an offence under this section, the court may also
order the person to pay to the Board any money that is payable to the Board by
the person under
section 88 for any period prior to the conviction. The money
payable to the Board shall be deemed to be an amount owing under this Act.
Section 158 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsections:
Same,
two or more convictions for same offence in same proceeding
(1.1) Despite
subsection (1), if a person described in paragraph 2 of subsection (1) is
convicted of two or more counts of the same offence in the same legal
proceeding, the person is liable to a fine not exceeding $750,000 for each
conviction.
. . . .
Aggravating
factors, employer defendant
(3) Each
of the following circumstances shall be considered an aggravating factor for
the purposes of determining a penalty under this
section for a defendant who is
an employer:
1. The
defendant was previously convicted of an offence under this Act.
2. The
defendant has been convicted of two or more counts of the same offence in the
legal proceeding to which the determination of the penalty relates.
3. The
defendant has a record of prior non-compliance with this Act.
Other
factors still relevant
(4) Nothing
in this
section shall be interpreted as limiting any factor, submission or
inquiry as to penalty the court is otherwise permitted or required to take into
account or make, as the case may be.
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
Bill 30 Original (PDF)
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
SCHEDULE 1
CITY OF TORONTO ACT, 2006
new
section 25.1 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 authorizes
the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations imposing limits and
conditions on the power of the City under the Act in relation to one or more
classes of certain undertakings relating to training or
skills development, or providing that the City cannot exercise the power in
specified circumstances.
The
Schedule also amends the Act to refer to regulations under the Planning
Act
respecting the application of sections 113 and 114 of the City
of Toronto Act, 2006 to certain undertakings relating to training or skills
development.
SCHEDULE 2
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ACT, 2000
The
Schedule amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000
as follows:
1. A
new provision is added requiring persons who operate job posting platforms to
have a mechanism or procedure for users of the platform to report fraudulent publicly
advertised job postings to the person operating the job posting platform and to
have a written policy with respect to fraudulent publicly advertised job
postings.
2. A
new
section is added permitting job seeking leave. The new
section provides
that, if 50 or more employees receive notice of termination, an employee who
receives such a notice is entitled to three days leave of absence without pay
to engage in activities related to obtaining employment.
3. The
Act is also amended to permit extended lay-offs in certain circumstances. The
lay-off may be 35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks, but not
52 or more weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks. An extended lay-off is
permitted if employer and employee agree to it and the Director approves.
Various related and consequential amendments are made.
SCHEDULE 3
MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001
A new
section 451.2 of the Municipal Act, 2001 authorizes the Lieutenant Governor in
Council to make regulations imposing limits and conditions on the power of a
municipality under the Act in relation to one or more classes of certain
undertakings relating to training or skills development, or providing that a
municipality cannot exercise the power in specified circumstances.
SCHEDULE 4
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT
Section
7.6.1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act is
amended to provide that health and safety management systems accredited under
that
section must be treated as equivalents.
The
Act is amended to provide for the reimbursement to certain employers of
defibrillator costs.
New
Part IX.1 of the Act establishes an administrative penalty scheme. Inspectors
are authorized to issue administrative penalty notices and may impose
administrative penalties for contraventions of or failures to comply with the
Act in amounts determined in accordance with the regulations.
The
Lieutenant Governor in Council is given authority to make regulations relating
to the amendments.
SCHEDULE 5
ONTARIO IMMIGRATION ACT, 2015
The
Schedule amends the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015
to provide that, when carrying out an inspection, an inspector may require a
person to attend an in-person interview separate and apart from other persons.
The regulation-making powers are also amended to permit certain
regulation-making powers to be delegated from the Lieutenant Governor in
Council to the Minister.
SCHEDULE 6
PLANNING ACT
The
Schedule amends the Planning
Act
to provide that certain undertakings relating to training or skills
development
are not subject to the Act or
section 113 or 114 of the City
of Toronto Act, 2006 , and to add related regulation-making powers.
SCHEDULE 7
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND INSURANCE ACT, 1997
The
Schedule amends the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act,
1997 . Here are some highlights:
New
section 22.2 of the Act prohibits an employer from making a false or misleading
statement or representation to the Board in connection with any person’s claim
for benefits under the insurance plan.
Sections
80 and 89 of the Act are amended to provide for administrative penalties.
Under
new
section 152.1 of the Act, a contravention of
section 88 is an offence.
Section
158 of the Act is amended to provide that persons convicted of two or more
counts of the same offence in the same legal proceeding are liable to a maximum
penalty of $750,000 for each conviction. A list of aggravating factors to be
considered in determining a penalty is also added.
Bill 30 2025
Act to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour and other
matters
CONTENTS
Preamble
Contents
of this Act
Commencement
Short
title
Schedule 1
City
of Toronto Act, 2006
Schedule 2
Employment
Standards Act, 2000
Schedule 3
Municipal
Act, 2001
Schedule 4
Occupational
Health and Safety Act
Schedule 5
Ontario
Immigration Act, 2015
Schedule 6
Planning
Act
Schedule 7
Workplace
Safety and Insurance Act, 1997
Preamble
The
Government of Ontario continues to:
Protect
Ontario workers and their families by creating safer workplaces and fighting
worker abuse with stronger penalties for those trying to exploit Ontario
workers.
Grow
and strengthen Ontario’s skilled trade workforce by helping workers access
better training, better jobs and bigger paycheques.
Keep
costs down for workers and businesses to make Ontario the most competitive
place to invest, create jobs and do business.
Therefore,
His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of
the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:
Contents
of this Act
1 This Act consists of this section, sections 2
and 3 and the Schedules to this Act.
Commencement
(1) Except
as otherwise provided in this section, this Act comes into force on the day it
receives Royal Assent.
(2) The
Schedules to this Act come into force as provided in each Schedule.
(3) If
a
Schedule to this Act provides that any of its provisions are to come into
force on a day to be named by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, an
order may apply to one or more of those provisions, and orders may be issued at
different times with respect to any of those provisions.
Short
title
3 The
short title of this Act is the Working for Workers
Seven Act, 2025 .
SCHEDULE 1
CITY OF TORONTO ACT, 2006
The City of Toronto Act, 2006 is amended by adding
the following section:
Regulations,
undertakings re training and skills development
25.1
(1) If the
Lieutenant Governor in Council considers that it is necessary or desirable to
do so, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations imposing limits
and conditions on the power of the City under this Act in relation to one or
more classes of undertaking described in subsection (2), or providing that the
City cannot exercise the power in specified circumstances.
Same
(2) Subsection
(1) applies to an undertaking that entails,
(
a) the
development or redevelopment of a building, structure or part of a building or
structure, where,
(
i) the
development or redevelopment is funded in part pursuant to a funding agreement
entered into by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills
Development, and
(ii) the
building, structure or part of the building or structure is to be used for
training or skills development purposes agreed to in the funding agreement; or
(
b) the use of a building, structure or part
of a building or structure referred to in clause (a), or the use of the parcel
of land on which the building or structure is located, for training or skills
development purposes agreed to in the funding agreement.
Same
(3) If
a regulation under subsection (1) imposes limits or conditions on a power of
the City or provides that the City cannot exercise a power in specified
circumstances, any by-law made by the City under the applicable power is
inoperative to the extent of the limits, conditions or prohibition.
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Non-application
of s. 113 or 114 — training or skills development undertakings
114.4 A regulation made for
the purposes of
section 62.0.4 of the Planning Act
may provide that
section 113 or 114 of this Act applies, or may set out
restrictions or limitations with respect to their application, to an
undertaking or class of undertakings described in
section 62.0.4 of the Planning Act .
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
SCHEDULE 2
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ACT, 2000
Section 8.1 of the Employment Standards Act, 2000
is amended by adding the following definition:
“job
posting platform” means an online platform that displays publicly advertised
job postings but does not include,
(
a) an online platform operated by an
employer that only advertises publicly advertised job postings for positions
with the employer, or
(
b) an
online platform that meets such criteria as may be prescribed; (“plateforme
d’affichage de postes”)
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Mechanism
for reporting fraudulent publicly advertised job postings
8.7
(1) A person
who operates a job posting platform shall ensure it has a mechanism or
procedure in place for users of the job posting platform to report fraudulent publicly
advertised job postings to the person operating the job posting platform and
shall display the mechanism or procedure in a conspicuous place on the job
posting platform where it is likely to come to the attention of the users of
the job posting platform.
Policy
on fraudulent publicly advertised job postings
(2) A
person who operates a job posting platform shall have a written policy with
respect to fraudulent publicly advertised job postings, which shall include,
(
a) information
about how the person will address fraudulent publicly advertised job postings;
and
(
b) any
other prescribed information.
Posting
(3) A
person who operates a job posting platform shall post and keep posted a copy of
the written policy in at least one conspicuous place on the job posting
platform where it is likely to come to the attention of the users of the job
posting platform.
Complaints
(4) A
person may not file a complaint under subsection 96 (1) alleging a
contravention of this
section or have such a complaint investigated.
(1) Subsection 15 (7) of the Act is amended by striking out “or
reservist leave” and substituting “reservist leave or job seeking leave”.
(2) Section
15 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Retention
of fraudulent publicly advertised job postings policy
(8.3) A
person who operates a job posting platform shall retain, or arrange for some
other person to retain, copies of every written policy on fraudulent publicly
advertised job postings required under subsection 8.7 (2) for three years after
the policy ceases to be in effect.
(3) Section
15 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Retention
of extended lay-off agreements
(10) An
employer shall retain or arrange for some other person to retain copies of
every agreement for an extended lay-off that the employer has made with an
employee under subsection 66.1 (1) for three years after the date the approval
of the extended lay-off expires under subsection 66.1 (8).
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Job
Seeking Leave
Job
seeking leave
50.3
(1) Subject
to subsection (10), an employee to whom notice has been given under
section 58
of the Act is entitled to a leave of absence without pay to engage in
activities related to obtaining employment, including job searches, interviews
and training.
Same,
limit
(2) An
employee’s entitlement to leave under this
section is limited to a total of
three days during the notice period.
Same,
unpaid
(3) Clause
60 (1) (
b) of the Act does not apply to any leave taken under this section.
Advising
employer
(4) An
employee who wishes to take a leave under this
section shall advise the
employer that the employee will be doing so at least three days before
beginning the leave, if possible.
Leave
deemed to be taken in entire days
(5) For
the purposes of an employee’s entitlement under subsection (1), if an employee
takes any part of a day as leave under this section, the employer may deem the
employee to have taken one day of leave on that day.
Evidence
(6) An
employer may require an employee who takes leave under this
section to provide
evidence reasonable in the circumstances that the employee is entitled to the
leave.
Job
seeking leave taken under employment contract
(7) If
an employee takes a paid or unpaid leave of absence under an employment
contract in circumstances for which the employee would also be entitled to take
a leave under this section, the employee is deemed to have taken the leave
under this section.
Same,
application of Act to deemed leave
(8) All
applicable requirements and prohibitions under this Act apply to a leave deemed
to have been taken under subsection (7).
Same,
application of subs. (5) to deemed leave
(9) Subsection
(5) applies with necessary modifications to a leave deemed to have been taken
under subsection (7).
Exception
where pay instead of notice
(10) If
an employer, in accordance with
section 61, terminates an employee with a
period of notice that is 25 per cent of the notice required under
section 58,
or less, the employee is not entitled to leave under this section.
(1) Clause 56 (2) (
c) of the Act is amended by striking out “a
lay-off longer than a lay-off described in clause (b)” and substituting “a
lay-off of 35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks”.
(2) Subsection
56 (2) of the Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of clause (b), by adding
“or” at the end of clause (
c) and by adding the following clause:
(
d) in
the case of an employee who is not represented by a trade union, a lay-off of
35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks, if the lay-off is less
than 52 weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks and,
(
i) the
employer recalls the employee within the time set out in an agreement between
the employer and employee, and
(ii) the
employer has received an approval for an extended lay-off from the Director
under subsection 66.1 (6).
(3) Subsection
56 (3) of the Act is amended by striking out “(3.6)” and substituting “(3.8)”.
(4) Subsection
56 (3.2) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:
Effect
of excluded week
(3.2) For
the purposes of clauses (2) (a), (
b) and (d), an excluded week shall be counted
as part of the periods of 20, 52 and 78 weeks, as the case may be.
(5) Section
56 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsections:
Lay-off,
no regular work week
(3.7) For
the purposes of clauses (1) (
c) and (2) (
d) and subject to the regulations, if
any, an employee who does not have a regular work week is laid off for a period
longer than the period of a temporary lay-off if for 52 or more weeks in any
period of 78 consecutive weeks the employee earns less than one-half the
average amount the employee earned per week in the period of 12 consecutive
weeks that preceded the 78-week period.
Effect
of excluded week
(3.8) For
the purposes of subsection (3.7) and subject to the regulations, if any,
(
a) an
excluded week shall not be counted as part of the 52 or more weeks but shall be
counted as part of the 78-week period; and
(
b) if
the 12-week period contains an excluded week, the average amount earned shall
be calculated based on the earnings in weeks that were not excluded weeks and
the number of weeks that were not excluded.
(1) Clause 63 (1) (
c) of the Act is repealed and the following
substituted:
(
c) the
employer lays the employee off for 35 or more weeks in any period of 52
consecutive weeks or, where the
Director has approved an extended lay-off under subsection 66.1 (6), beyond the date the approval expires under subsection 66.1
(8).
(2) Subsections
63 (2.2) to (2.4) of the Act are repealed and the following substituted:
Effect
of excluded week
(2.2) For
the purposes of clause (1) (c), an excluded week shall be counted as part of
the period of 52 weeks or 78 weeks, as the case may be.
Lay-off,
no regular work week
(2.3) For
the purposes of clause (1) (
c) and subject to the regulations, if any,
(
a) an employee who does not have a regular work week is
laid off for 35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks if, for 35
or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks the employee earns less
than one-quarter the average amount the employee earned per week in the period
of 12 consecutive weeks that preceded the 52-week period ; or
(
b) an
employee who does not have a regular work week is laid off for 52 or more weeks
in any period of 78 consecutive weeks if, for 52 or more weeks in any period of
78 consecutive weeks the employee earns less than one-quarter the average
amount the employee earned per week in the period of 12 consecutive weeks that
preceded the 78-week period.
Effect
of excluded week
(2.4) For
the purposes of subsection (2.3) and subject to the regulations, if any,
(
a) an
excluded week shall not be counted as part of the 35 or more weeks, but shall
be counted as part of the 52-week period or, where the Director has approved an
extended lay-off under subsection 66.1 (6), an excluded week shall not be
counted as part of the 52 or more weeks, but shall be counted as part of the
78-week period; and
(
b) if
the 12-week period contains an excluded week, the average amount earned shall
be calculated based on the earnings in weeks that were not excluded weeks and
the number of weeks that were not excluded.
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Extended
lay-off
Agreement
with employee
66.1
(1) An employer and an employee may
agree to a lay-off that is 35 or
more weeks
in any period of 52 consecutive weeks , but may not agree to a lay-off of 52 or more
weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks.
withdrawal
(2) Once
an employee has agreed to an extended lay-off described in subsection (1), the
employee may not withdraw such agreement.
Agreement
(3) An
agreement for an extended lay-off is not valid unless, before the agreement was
made, the employer had provided to the employee, in writing,
(
a) the
latest date the employer intends to recall the employee; and
(
b) a
statement of the rule set out in subsection (2).
Application
for approval
(4) An
employer who has entered into an agreement described in subsection (1) with one
or more employees may apply to the Director for approval of the extended
lay-off.
Application
form
(5) The
application shall be in a form approved by the Director and shall include the
prescribed information, if any.
Approval
(6) The
Director may issue an approval to the employer allowing an extended lay-off.
Employees
to whom approval applies
(7) An
approval only applies to an employee who entered into an agreement described in
subsection (1).
Expiry
(8) An
approval expires on the earlier of,
(
a) the
date referred to in clause (3) (a); and
(
b) the first day on which the lay-off is 52
or more weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks.
Further
applications
(9) For greater certainty, nothing
in this
section prevents an employer from applying for a further approval
before an approval expires pursuant to clause (8) (a), provided that the period
the employee has been laid off and the further period applied for is not 52 or
more weeks in any period of 78 consecutive weeks.
Same
(10) The
requirements of this
section apply to any further applications and approvals.
Exception
(11) This
section does not apply to an
employee who is represented by a trade union.
Clause 67 (1) (
a) is repealed and the following substituted:
(
a) termination
pay under
section 61 because of a lay-off of 35 or more weeks or, where the Director has
approved an extended lay-off under subsection 66.1 (6), beyond the date the
approval expires under subsection 66.1 (8).
(1) Subsection 141 (1) of the Act is amended by adding the following
paragraph:
12.1 Establishing
rules for determining whether an employee who does not have a regular work week
is laid off for a period longer than the period of a temporary lay-off for the
purposes of clauses 56 (1) (c), 56 (2) (d), and 63 (1) (c).
(2) Section
141 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Retroactive
regulation
(1.1.1) A
regulation made under paragraph 12.1 of subsection (1) is, if it so provides,
effective with reference to a period before it is filed.
Commencement
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this
Schedule
comes into force on the day the Working for Workers Seven
Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
(2) Sections
1 and 2 and subsection 3 (2) come into force on the later of the day subsection
2 (1) of
Schedule 2 to the Working for Workers Four Act,
2024 comes into force and the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
SCHEDULE 3
MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001
1 The Municipal Act, 2001
is amended by adding the following section:
Regulations,
undertakings re training and skills development
451.2
(1) If the
Lieutenant Governor in Council considers that it is necessary or desirable to
do so, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations imposing limits
and conditions on the power of a municipality under this Act in relation to one
or more classes of undertaking described in subsection (2), or providing that a
municipality cannot exercise the power in specified circumstances.
Same
(2) Subsection
(1) applies to an undertaking that entails,
(
a) the
development or redevelopment of a building, structure or part of a building or
structure, where,
(
i) the
development or redevelopment is funded in part pursuant to a funding agreement
entered into by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills
Development, and
(ii) the
building, structure or part of the building or structure is to be used for
training or skills development purposes agreed to in the funding agreement; or
(
b) the
use of a building, structure or part of a building or structure referred to in
clause (a), or the use of the parcel of land on which the building or structure
is located, for training or skills development purposes agreed to in the
funding agreement.
Same
(3) If
a regulation under subsection (1) imposes limits or conditions on a power of a
municipality or provides that a municipality cannot exercise a power in
specified circumstances, any by-law made by a municipality under the applicable
power is inoperative to the extent of the limits, conditions or prohibition.
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal
Assent.
SCHEDULE 4
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT
Subsection 1 (1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
is amended by adding the following definition:
“defibrillator”
means an automated external medical heart monitor and defibrillator that is
capable of,
(
a) recognizing
the presence or absence of ventricular fibrillation or rapid ventricular
tachycardia,
(
b) determining,
without intervention by an operator, whether defibrillation should be
performed,
(
c) automatically
charging and requesting delivery of an electrical impulse to an individual’s
heart as medically required, and
(
d) satisfying
any other prescribed criteria; (“défibrillateur”)
Section 7.6.1 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Equivalency
(4) Subject
to the regulations, health and safety management systems accredited under this
section are equivalents and shall be treated as such for any purpose for which
they are required.
(1) The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Defibrillator
reimbursements
Definition
22.0.1
(1) In this
section, “Board” means the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, despite the
definition of “Board” in subsection 1 (1).
Reimbursement
(2) If
a person who is an employer within the meaning of the Workplace
Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 and who meets such other criteria as may
be prescribed is subject to a requirement under this Act or the regulations to
equip a workplace with a defibrillator and the person equips a workplace with a
defibrillator, the Board shall, in accordance with the regulations, reimburse
that person for the cost of the defibrillator.
Same,
form and timing
(3) The
Board may determine the form and timing of reimbursements made under this
section.
Overpayment
(4) An
overpayment made by the Board under subsection (2) is deemed to be an
overpayment owing to the Board under the Workplace Safety
and Insurance Act, 1997 .
right of reconsideration or appeal
(5) A
determination made by the Board regarding a person’s entitlement to
reimbursement under this
section is not a final decision of the Board for the
purposes of
Part XI of the Workplace Safety and Insurance
Act, 1997 and a person has no right of reconsideration by, or appeal to,
the Board or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal in respect of
a determination made by the Board under this section.
Immunity
(6) No
action or other legal proceeding may be commenced against the Board or a member
of the board of directors, an officer or an employee of the Board in respect of
an act or omission done or omitted by a person in good faith in the execution
or intended execution of any power or duty under this section.
Regulations
(7) The
Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations governing reimbursements
under this section, including but not limited to regulations,
(
a) governing
the process for applying for a reimbursement;
(
b) prescribing
criteria that a person must meet in order to be eligible for a reimbursement;
(
c) establishing
time limits for applying for a reimbursement and for the payment of
reimbursements by the Board;
(
d) establishing
maximum amounts that may be paid for a reimbursement or to a person eligible
for a reimbursement;
(
e) establishing
reporting requirements in respect of reimbursements paid;
(
f) setting
out any conditions or limits on reimbursements.
(2) Section
22.0.1 of the Act, as enacted by subsection (1), is repealed.
The Act is amended by adding the following Part:
PART IX.1
ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES
Administrative
penalty
69.1
(1) If an
inspector finds that a person has contravened or failed to comply with a
provision of this Act or the regulations, an order or requirement of an inspector
or Director, or an order of the Minister, the inspector may impose an
administrative penalty against the person in accordance with this
section and
the regulations by issuing and serving a notice of administrative penalty on
the person.
Notice
of administrative penalty
(2) A
notice of administrative penalty shall contain or be accompanied by information
setting out the nature of the contravention or failure to comply, the amount of
the penalty to be paid and such other information as may be prescribed.
Purpose
(3) The
purpose of an administrative penalty is to promote compliance with the
requirements established by this Act and the regulations.
Amount
of penalty
(4) The
amount of the administrative penalty shall be determined in accordance with the
regulations.
Penalty
within range
(5) If
a range has been prescribed for an administrative penalty, the inspector shall
determine the amount of the penalty in accordance with the prescribed criteria,
if any.
Service
(6) A
notice issued under this
section shall be served on the person in accordance
with the regulations.
Payment
(7) A
person who has been issued a notice under this
section shall pay the amount of
the administrative penalty to the Minister of Finance.
Review
(8) A
person who has been issued a notice under this
section may, in accordance with
the regulations, request a review of the notice by a person or entity
prescribed for the purpose of this subsection and the prescribed person or
entity may, in accordance with the regulations, confirm, vary or set aside the
notice.
Enforcement
(9) An
administrative penalty that is not paid in accordance with the notice imposing
it is a debt due to the Crown and may be recovered in accordance with the
regulations.
Publication
(10) The
Minister may publish information about an administrative penalty imposed under
this
section in accordance with the regulations.
Effect
of paying penalty
(11) If
a person pays the administrative penalty in accordance with the terms of the
notice, that person cannot be charged with an offence under this Act in respect
of the same contravention or failure to comply.
Subsection 70 (2) of the Act is amended by adding the following paragraphs:
57. governing
equivalency and requirements related to the use on a project of health and
safety management systems accredited by the Chief Prevention Officer under
section 7.6.1, including, but not limited to, procurement or tendering
requirements related to accredited health and safety management systems that
project owners, constructors, employers or persons acting on their behalf, may
impose on a project.
58. prescribing
and governing record-keeping requirements related to the use on a project of
health and safety management systems accredited by the Chief Prevention Officer
under
section 7.6.1.
59. governing
administrative penalties and all matters necessary and incidental to the
administration of a system of administrative penalties under this Act.
Commencement
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this
Schedule
comes into force on the day the Working for Workers Seven
Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
(2) Subsection
3 (2) comes into force on a day to be named by order of the Lieutenant Governor
in Council.
SCHEDULE 5
ONTARIO IMMIGRATION ACT, 2015
Clause 23 (3) (
b) of the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015
is amended by adding “and may require that a person attend an in-person
interview separate and apart from other persons” at the end.
Clause 37 (1) (
h) of the Act is amended by striking out “subclause (e) (ii)” at
the end and substituting “subclauses (e) (
i) and (ii)”.
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
SCHEDULE 6
PLANNING ACT
The Planning Act is amended by adding the following
section:
Undertakings,
training or skills development
62.0.4
(1) Except
as otherwise prescribed, an undertaking is not subject to this Act or
section
113 or 114 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 if it
entails,
(
a) the development or redevelopment of a
building, structure or part of a building or structure, where,
(
i) the
development or redevelopment is funded in part pursuant to a funding agreement
entered into by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills
Development, and
(ii) the
building, structure or part of the building or structure is to be used for
training or skills development purposes agreed to in the funding agreement; or
(
b) the
use of a building, structure or part of a building or structure referred to in
clause (a), or the use of the parcel of land on which the building or structure
is located, for training or skills development purposes agreed to in the
funding agreement.
Exception,
Greenbelt Area
(2) Subsection
(1) does not apply to an undertaking on any land in the Greenbelt Area.
Subsection 70 (1) of the Act is amended by adding the following clause:
(
k) for the purposes of subsection 62.0.4
(1),
(
i) providing
that this Act or
section 113 or 114 of the City of Toronto
Act, 2006 , or provisions thereof, apply to an undertaking or class of
undertakings described in that subsection, or
(ii) setting
out restrictions or limitations with respect to the application of this Act or
of a provision referred to in subclause (i).
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
SCHEDULE 7
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND INSURANCE ACT, 1997
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 is
amended by adding the following section:
Prohibition,
false or misleading statement
22.2
(1) No
employer shall make a false or misleading statement or representation to the
Board in connection with any person’s claim for benefits under the insurance
plan.
Administrative
penalty
(2) An
employer who contravenes subsection (1) shall pay the prescribed amount to the
Board. This payment is in addition to any penalty imposed by a court for an
offence under subsection 149 (1).
Section 80 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Administrative
penalty
(3) An
employer who fails to comply with subsection (1) or who fails to comply with a
requirement of the Board under subsection (2) shall pay the prescribed amount
to the Board. This payment is in addition to any penalty imposed by a court for
an offence under
section
Section 89 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:
Administrative
penalty
(4) An
employer who does not pay premiums when they become due shall pay the
prescribed amount to the Board. This payment is in addition to any amounts
payable to the Board under subsections (1) and (2) and any penalty imposed by a
court for an offence under
section 152.1.
(1) Paragraph 4 of subsection 135 (1) of the Act is amended by
adding “22.2, 80 or 88” at the end.
(2) Paragraph
5 of subsection 135 (2) of the Act is amended by adding “22.2, 80 or 88” at the
end.
The Act is amended by adding the following section:
Offence,
failure to pay premiums
152.1
(1) A person
who fails to comply with
section 88 is guilty of an offence.
Restitution
order
(2) If
a person is convicted of an offence under this section, the court may also
order the person to pay to the Board any money that is payable to the Board by
the person under
section 88 for any period prior to the conviction. The money
payable to the Board shall be deemed to be an amount owing under this Act.
Section 158 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsections:
Same,
two or more convictions for same offence in same proceeding
(1.1) Despite
subsection (1), if a person described in paragraph 2 of subsection (1) is
convicted of two or more counts of the same offence in the same legal
proceeding, the person is liable to a fine not exceeding $750,000 for each
conviction.
. . . .
Aggravating
factors, employer defendant
(3) Each
of the following circumstances shall be considered an aggravating factor for
the purposes of determining a penalty under this
section for a defendant who is
an employer:
1. The
defendant was previously convicted of an offence under this Act.
2. The
defendant has been convicted of two or more counts of the same offence in the
legal proceeding to which the determination of the penalty relates.
3. The
defendant has a record of prior non-compliance with this Act.
Other
factors still relevant
(4) Nothing
in this
section shall be interpreted as limiting any factor, submission or
inquiry as to penalty the court is otherwise permitted or required to take into
account or make, as the case may be.
Commencement
This
Schedule comes into force on the day the Working for
Workers Seven Act, 2025 receives Royal Assent.
Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee
November 27, 2025
Royal Assent
Royal Assent received
November 25, 2025
Third Reading
Vote
Carried
November 25, 2025
Third Reading
Question put
November 25, 2025
Third Reading
Debated
October 29, 2025
Second Reading
Ordered for Third Reading pursuant to the Order of the House
October 29, 2025
Second Reading
Vote
Carried
October 29, 2025
Second Reading
Question put
October 29, 2025
Second Reading
Time allocated
October 21, 2025
Second Reading
Debated
Debate adjourned
October 20, 2025
Second Reading
Debated
Debate adjourned
May 28, 2025
First Reading
Ordered for Second Reading
May 28, 2025
First Reading
Vote
Carried
First Reading
May 28, 2025
Carried
Ordered for Second Reading
Second Reading
October 20, 2025
Principal Debaters
Blais, Stephen
Orléans
Fife, Catherine
Waterloo
Fraser, John
Ottawa South
Piccini, Hon. David
Northumberland—Peterborough South
Rae, Matthew
Perth—Wellington
Sabawy, Sheref
Mississauga—Erin Mills
Smith, Laura
Thornhill
West, Jamie
Sudbury
Questions and Responses
Bourgouin, Guy
Mushkegowuk—James Bay
Gates, Wayne
Niagara Falls
Gretzky, Lisa
Windsor West
Kernaghan, Terence
London North Centre
McKenney, Catherine
Ottawa Centre
Oosterhoff, Hon. Sam
Niagara West
Racinsky, Joseph
Wellington—Halton Hills
Sattler, Peggy
London West
Tsao, Jonathan
Don Valley North
Wong-Tam, Kristyn
Toronto Centre
October 21, 2025
Principal Debaters
Anand, Deepak
Mississauga—Malton
Bowman, Stephanie
Don Valley West
Cerjanec, Rob
Ajax
Clancy, Aislinn
Kitchener Centre
Firin, Mohamed
York South—Weston
French, Jennifer
Oshawa
Rae, Matthew
Perth—Wellington
Rakocevic, Tom
Humber River—Black Creek
Questions and Responses
Blais, Stephen
Orléans
Coe, Lorne
Whitby
Gélinas, France
Nickel Belt
Jordan, John
Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston
Leardi, Anthony
Essex
McGregor, Hon. Graham
Brampton North
Oosterhoff, Hon. Sam
Niagara West
Pasma, Chandra
Ottawa West—Nepean
Pierre, Natalie
Burlington
Smyth, Stephanie
Toronto—St. Paul's
West, Jamie
Sudbury
October 29, 2025
Time allocated
Question put
Carried
October 29, 2025
Ordered for Third Reading pursuant to the Order of the House
Third Reading
November 25, 2025
Principal Debaters
Clancy, Aislinn
Kitchener Centre
Firin, Mohamed
York South—Weston
Fraser, John
Ottawa South
Gates, Wayne
Niagara Falls
Gélinas, France
Nickel Belt
McMahon, Mary-Margaret
Beaches—East York
Piccini, Hon. David
Northumberland—Peterborough South
Sabawy, Sheref
Mississauga—Erin Mills
Smyth, Stephanie
Toronto—St. Paul's
Vaugeois, Lise
Thunder Bay—Superior North
West, Jamie
Sudbury
Question put
Carried
Royal Assent
November 27, 2025
Royal Assent received