What’s New – Ontario Ministry of Labour | October 2018
Ontario’s Government for the People cutting red tape in order to help create and protect jobs
Ontario is open for business: the government is acting to bring jobs and investment back to our province by lightening the burden on business and making sure that hard work is rewarded. The proposed Making Ontario Open for Business Act would remove the worst burdens that prevent Ontario businesses from creating jobs while expanding opportunities for workers. The government is proposing to repeal amendments made by the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 (Bill 148) that are causing employers the most concern and unnecessary burden.
Ontario open for business: WSIB premium rate savings to help employers boost economy
Premium rates for employers will be sharply reduced due to the elimination of the WSIB’s unfunded liability. By eliminating the unfunded liability, the WSIB will be able to reduce the average premium rate for employers by almost 30 per cent, starting January 1, 2019. This will help employers save money, increase investment and create more jobs, resulting in a $1.45 billion injection into the Ontario economy.
Cannabis legalization and workplace safety
On October 17, recreational cannabis was legalized in Canada. Ontario currently has strict rules in place to make sure workplaces are safe. For more information, visit Ontario’s page on cannabis legalization. The ministry has also posted guidance material to help workplaces manage occupational health and safety issues related to impairment from substance use.
Visit Ontario’s cannabis legalization page
Read the ministry’s guidance on workplace impairment
Small businesses comprise 95 per cent of all employers in Ontario, and represent a vital part of Ontario’s economic growth. The ministry and Ontario’s health and safety associations have partnered to develop a toolkit for small businesses, providing small business owners with step-by-step instruction on how to help ensure a healthy and safe workplace.
Read more [PDF]
Safe At Work Ontario consultation paper
This month, the ministry is holding stakeholder consultations on our Safe At Work Ontario strategy to discuss workplace safety. To support these consultations, we have produced a consultation paper with questions for discussion, which were emailed to the confirmed attendees. The document also serves as a guide for those who are unable to attend the sessions, but would like to provide written feedback.
New MSD prevention guideline for Ontario
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common workplace injury in Ontario. The province’s health and safety system has unveiled a new prevention guideline to prevent MSDs, along with a new website. Developed by the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD), this new guideline provides updated content and a host of tools and resources to meet the needs of organizations of all types and sizes.
Occ-tober: A symposium of occupational health and disease prevention
On October 29, join a symposium to learn and share ideas about occupational health and disease prevention. Hosted by the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, the free program includes perspectives and prevention approaches on occupational disease from across the country and beyond. Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer Ron Kelusky will also attend to talk about the province’s prevention strategy. Seats are limited, so register today!
What’s New is published by the Ministry of Labour.
Ontario Ministry of Labour
400 University Avenue, 12th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 1T7
Canada