{"id":11048,"date":"2018-03-22T16:07:17","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T20:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/living-safety-information\/%e3%82%aa%e3%83%b3%e3%82%bf%e3%83%aa%e3%82%aa%e5%b7%9e%e3%81%a7%e5%83%8d%e3%81%8f%e4%ba%ba%e3%81%ae%e9%9b%87%e7%94%a8%e6%9d%a1%e4%bb%b6%e3%81%ae%e6%94%b9%e5%96%84\/"},"modified":"2021-04-16T19:10:56","modified_gmt":"2021-04-16T23:10:56","slug":"betteremploymentstandardsforworkersinont","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/news\/betteremploymentstandardsforworkersinont\/","title":{"rendered":"Better employment standards for workers in Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This is a translation of \u201cBetter employment standards for workers in Ontario\u201d published in February 2018, produced in English by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario)<\/a>. Japanese Social Services is wholly responsible for the accuracy of this translation, produced with permission of CLEO.<\/p>\n<h1><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3948 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/jss.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/e1499906814282-300x89.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"597\" height=\"177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jss.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/e1499906814282-300x89.png 300w, https:\/\/jss.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/e1499906814282.png 577w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\" \/><\/h1>\n<p>Recent changes to Ontario&#8217;s Employment Standards Act (ESA) aim to improve conditions for workers. This month&#8217;s On the Radar highlights some of these changes.<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><strong>Workers who are covered<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The ESA sets minimum standards for most workers in Ontario. But not all jobs are covered by the ESA. And, for some jobs, only parts of the ESA apply.<\/p>\n<p>Workers can use the Ministry of Labour&#8217;s online tool called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/document\/industries-and-jobs-exemptions-or-special-rules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Industries and jobs with exemptions or special rules<\/a>\u00a0to find out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>if a job is covered by the ESA<\/li>\n<li>which ESA rules apply<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Higher minimum wage<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>As of January 1, 2018, the general\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/how-much-does-my-employer-have-pay-me\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">minimum wage<\/a>is\u00a0<strong>$14.00<\/strong>\u00a0an hour.<br \/>\nOther minimum wages also went up.<br \/>\nPeople who serve alcohol in a place where they usually get tips must now be paid at least\u00a0<strong>$12.20<\/strong>an hour.<br \/>\nHomeworkers must be paid at least\u00a0<strong>$15.40<\/strong>\u00a0an hour.<br \/>\nAnd for students under the age of 18, the minimum wage is usually\u00a0<strong>$13.15<\/strong>\u00a0an hour.<br \/>\nThe government plans to increase the general minimum wage to\u00a0<strong>$15.00<\/strong>\u00a0an hour in January 2019.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>More vacation after 5 years<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/how-much-vacation-time-do-i-get\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">amount of vacation<\/a>\u00a0workers get depends on how long they&#8217;ve worked for their employer.<br \/>\nWorkers who have worked\u00a0<strong>5 years or more<\/strong>\u00a0for the same employer now get\u00a0<strong>3 weeks<\/strong>\u00a0of vacation each year.<br \/>\nIf they&#8217;ve worked\u00a0<strong>less than 5 years<\/strong>\u00a0for the employer, they get\u00a0<strong>2 weeks<\/strong>\u00a0of vacation in a year.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/does-my-employer-have-pay-me-vacation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vacation pay<\/a>\u00a0is 6% for workers who get 3 weeks of vacation and 4% for workers who get 2 weeks of vacation.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Paid personal emergency leave for 2 days each year<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The ESA calls\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/do-i-get-time-illnesses-and-other-personal-emergencies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">time off for illness and other personal emergencies<\/a>\u00a0&#8220;personal emergency leave&#8221;. Personal emergency leave can be up to\u00a0<strong>10 days<\/strong>\u00a0off each year.<br \/>\nWorkers can use the leave because they need it for themselves or because of the needs of a family member.<br \/>\nThe ESA now gives workers the right to be paid for\u00a0<strong>2 days<\/strong>\u00a0of personal emergency leave each year. To be eligible, they must have worked for their employer for at least one week.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>No doctor&#8217;s note needed<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Employers can ask workers to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-step\/5-get-proof-about-needing-personal-emergency-leave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prove that they need personal emergency leave<\/a>. But they can only ask for proof that&#8217;s &#8220;reasonable in the circumstances&#8221;.<br \/>\nEmployers\u00a0<strong>can&#8217;t<\/strong>\u00a0ask for a medical note from a doctor, registered nurse, or psychologist.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Time off because of domestic or sexual violence<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Workers can now take time off as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-step\/3-find-out-about-domestic-or-sexual-violence-leave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">domestic or sexual violence leave<\/a>.<br \/>\nWorkers may be able to use this leave if they or their child who&#8217;s under 18, has:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>experienced domestic or sexual violence<\/li>\n<li>been threatened with domestic or sexual violence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A worker can get the domestic or sexual violence leave in the ESA only if they have worked for their employer for\u00a0<strong>at least 13 weeks<\/strong>\u00a0in a row.<br \/>\nA worker has the right to be paid for the first\u00a0<strong>5 days<\/strong>of domestic or sexual violence leave each year.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>No need to contact employer before making a claim<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>If an employer has not followed the ESA, a worker may be able to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/how-do-i-make-employment-standards-claim-ministry-labour-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make a claim with the Ministry of Labour<\/a>.<br \/>\nFor example, a worker may be able to make a claim if their employer has:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>paid them less than\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/how-much-does-my-employer-have-pay-me\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">minimum wage<\/a><\/li>\n<li>not paid what they owe for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/does-my-employer-have-pay-me-overtime\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">overtime<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/can-my-employer-punish-me-if-i-act-my-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">punished them<\/a>\u00a0for asking the employer to respect their rights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The law no longer says that a worker has to contact their employer before making a claim with the Ministry. For some workers, having to first talk to their employer stopped them from making a complaint.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Getting legal help<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Workers may want to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/where-can-i-get-help-and-advice-about-my-rights-worker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">get legal help or advice<\/a>\u00a0about their rights as workers. And if a worker has been\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/i-have-been-fired-how-much-notice-should-i-get\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fired<\/a>, it&#8217;s a good idea to get legal advice.<\/p>\n<p>This email alert gives general legal information. It is not a substitute for getting legal advice about a particular situation.<\/p>\n<p>Original source:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/cleo\/on-the-radar-better-employment-standards-for-workers-in-ontario\">https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/cleo\/on-the-radar-better-employment-standards-for-workers-in-ontario<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a translation of \u201cBetter employment standards for workers in Ontario\u201d published in February 2018, produced in English by CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario). Japanese Social Services is wholly responsible for the accuracy of this translation, produced with permission of CLEO. Recent changes to Ontario&#8217;s Employment Standards Act (ESA) aim to improve conditions for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":10956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[280],"tags":[303],"class_list":["post-11048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-living-safety-information"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11048"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14097,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11048\/revisions\/14097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}