Increased Paid Vacations and New Personal Emergency Days Also in Effect
News from the Ontario Government
Posted January 4th, 2018 on Niagara At Large
Starting this January , people across Ontario began to see their wages rise $14 an hour as the new general minimum wage takes effect. This change will help workers and their families who are struggling to get ahead in a changing economy.
As part of Ontario’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, the minimum wage will increase again to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019, to be followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation.
Other provisions of the new provincial legislation that come into effect on January 1, 2018, include:
Ensuring workers are entitled to at least three weeks’ vacation after five years with the same employer, bringing Ontario’s vacation time in line with the national average.
Expanding the 10 days per calendar year for personal emergency leave to employees in workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, with at least two paid days per year for employees who have been employed for at least a week.
A new domestic or sexual violence leave of up to 10 individual days and up to 15 weeks of job protected leave; the first five days of leave in every calendar year would be paid
Increased family medical leave from 8 to 28 weeks per year
A new child death leave from any cause up to 104 weeks, and increased crime-related disappearance of a child leave from 52 to 104 weeks, and
Changes to make forming a union and reaching a first collective agreement easier
Supporting workers and their families is part of Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017
The Changing Workplaces Review — Final Report
QUOTES
“Our plan for fair workplaces and better jobs provides a minimum wage people can actually live on and modernizes our labour laws to adapt to an ever-changing economy. Too many families struggle to get by on part-time or temporary work. Those working full-time can be living in poverty. This is unacceptable in Ontario. Our plan will help ensure everyone who works hard has the chance to reach their full potential and share in Ontario’s prosperity.”
— Kevin Flynn, Minister of Labour
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In Cobourg, the Tim Horton’s heirs, Ron Joyce Jr and Jeri-Lynn Horton-Joyce, son and daughter of the co-founders, have notified their employees that, due to the wage increase, they intend to end paid breaks for their employees and reduce other benefits in order for the company to remain profitable. For example, a 9 hour shift will be paid for 8h20m, an 8h shift, 7h30m, a 7h shift, 6h30m.(*CBC News). Wow, maybe they will have to close a couple of their ubiquitous outlets. Poor dears. 😦
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