Ontario has followed in the footsteps of several European countries including Italy and France with the introduction of a new law that would give employees the “right to disconnect.” Essentially, you’ll now have the power to tell your boss to take a hike once the clock strikes 5:00 p.m.
With the introduction of The Working for Workers Act, 2021, employers with 25 or more employees must develop written policies about disconnecting from work, which means not having to answer work-related emails, phone, and video calls once the workday is done.
Ontario will also become the first jurisdiction in Canada and one of the first in North America, to ban non-compete agreements, which presently make it difficult for those looking to advance in their field and earn higher wages.
Other notable changes passed include removing previous Canadian work experience for internationally-trained individuals to make it easier for them to practice in their professions, while food delivery couriers and truck drivers will now be able to access washrooms in the businesses and restaurants they serve.
“This legislation is another step towards building back a better province and cementing Ontario’s position as a global leader, for others to follow, as the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development in a recent statement.
Some, however, are not singing the praises of this new legislation.
“Bill 27 #WorkingforWorkers Act won’t help with unequal pay, no benefits, no #paidsickdays, or working for years at the same job & never being hired directly,” Tweeted The Workers’ Action Centre, a Toronto organization committed to improving the lives and working conditions of people in low-wage and unstable employment.
David Doorey, an associate professor of work law and industrial relations at York University, is also unimpressed.
“The curious aspect of the new law is that it does not actually protect a ‘right to disconnect from work’ at all, notwithstanding the government’s inferences otherwise,” he wrote on his website. “All the new law would do is require employers with at least 25 employees who aren’t otherwise exempt (remember, the government has left the many exemptions in place) to prepare a policy about disconnecting from work and to then give it to employees. That’s like announcing a great fanfare that employees will be entitled to weekends off and then passing a law that requires employers to write a policy about weekend work.”
These policies must be in place before March 1 of each year and be given to new employees 30 days after being hired.
Opposition parties in the Ontario Legislature and other critics such as Dave Trumble of the Grey Bruce Labour Council note that more effective policies to benefit workers might be raising the minimum wage so that it is a living wage, and increasing the number of mandatory paid sick days in the province to 10.
