Bill 148, known as the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, in Ontario, encompassed a range of reforms aimed at improving labour conditions and addressing the evolving needs of the workforce. Bill 148 significantly increased the minimum wage in Ontario, with a planned rise to $14 per hour, and a subsequent increase to $15 per hour. The Act made it more challenging for employers to misclassify employees as independent contractors, thereby ensuring better protection for workers in terms of severance and notice obligations. Besides, the Act also mandated equal pay for seasonal, temporary, casual, and full-time workers performing similar types of work, subject to certain conditions such as seniority and merit. Moreover, The Act introduced regulations for on-call employees and shift workers, including compensation for shortened shifts or cancelled on-call periods and the right to refuse shifts or on-call periods with insufficient notice. Coupled with this, the expansion of existing leaves and the introduction of new ones, such as for domestic or sexual violence, reflects an understanding of workers’ needs beyond the workplace.
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