An Ontario law called the Working for Workers Act has received Royal Assent and will protect workers from "dine and dash" and "gas and dash" thieves.
Some employers made workers pay out of pocket for these crimes but Minister of Labour David Piccini says that has changed.
"With our fourth Working for Workers Act, we continue to lead the country in ground-breaking protections for workers," Piccini says in a news release.
One of the key changes is Strengthening wage protections for restaurant, hospitality and service workers by clarifying that employers can never deduct an employee’s wages in the event of a dine and dash, gas and dash or any other stolen property. It also makes sure that trial shifts are paid.
"Further, our government is requiring employers post in the workplace if they are sharing in pooled tips – something that is only allowed if they perform the same work as their staff – and requiring employers who pay tips using direct deposit to allow their employees to select which account they want funds deposited."
Another provision bans the use of "Canadian experience" as a requirement in job postings or application forms to enable qualified workers to fill highly in-demand jobs, especially in health care.
"This change would help more qualified candidates progress in the interview process and follows historic legislation to prohibit regulated professions from requiring discriminatory Canadian work experience requirements in licensing for more than 30 occupations, which came into effect December 2023," adds the minister.
Employers must now disclose salary ranges in job postings and if artificial intelligence (AI) is used during the hiring process.
Additionally the government is launching consultations to identify legislative options to restrict the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in the settlement of cases of workplace sexual harassment, misconduct or violence, while protecting the rights of victims and survivors.
