Ontario proposes new law that would help people with their work-life balance
Ontario is proposing new legislation that would encourage employees to disconnect from the office and sustain a healthier work life balance.
Labour Minister Monte McNaughton introduced the Working for Workers Act on Monday, which would require employers with 25 employees or more to develop policies that give workers the right to disconnect.
“Ontario cannot be a province where people burnout from endless work and family time comes last. We need to give our workers a break,” McNaughton said.
McNaughton said examples of these policies could include setting expectations for email response times and encouraging employees to turn on out-of-office notifications when they aren’t working.
“When you're off the clock. You're off the clock,” McNaughton said. “Everyone should be able to unplug at the end of their work day because people are more than their jobs, they are mums and dads, volunteers for local charities, members of faith communities, and so much more.”
The proposed legislation would also prohibit employers from using “unfair” non-compete agreements, which McNaughton said often restrict employees from taking new jobs in the same field and subsequently result in suppressed wages.
The province says this change would help workers advance their careers and earn more money without penalty. Meanwhile, employers’ intellectual property would still be protected through narrow clauses.
Expert says new law could ‘cause havoc’
Employment lawyer Howard Levitt told CTV News Toronto the province’s proposed legislation “doesn't really solve the problem.” Instead, he suggested the government “might be virtue signalling.”
“It's another example of legislation that accomplishes nothing,” Levitt said.
He pointed to his own office as an example. “In my law firm, I've actually disciplined employees for disconnecting,” Levitt said. In a recent example, he said an employee disconnected from work for the weekend while a client was enduring a major crisis.
“It depends on the nature of the business,” he said. “It would be devastating to my clients in particular if we just disconnected.”
Levitt said already existing legislation, such as overtime laws in Ontario, ensure employees who work after hours are compensated.
“What benefit is this legislation? It's simply enunciating what the law already is.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
About 1,000 wildfires confirmed so far this year: Here's a quick look at the situation in Canada
Nearly 1,000 wildfires have burned across Canada so far this year. Here's an overview of the situation in Canada.
American sought after 'So I raped you' Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.