16 December, 2021
Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021, which received Royal Assent earlier this month, introduces a number of important provisions. One of those provisions requires certain workplaces to implement a policy on disconnecting from work, which will be the focus of this article.
The requirement with respect to disconnecting from work only relates to work-related communications.
Employers with more than 25 employees as of January 1 of any year, are required to put in place a policy by March 1 of that year with respect to disconnecting from work. For 2022 only, this policy must be put in place prior to June 2, 2022, instead of March 1, 2022.
Provide copies
Employers must provide a copy of the policy to each employee within 30 days of preparing the policy or, if an existing written policy is changed, within 30 days of the changes being made. Employers must also provide a copy of the written policy to new employees within 30 days of the day the employee becomes an employee of the workplace.
The policy must include the date the policy was prepared, and the date any changes were made to the policy. The contents of the policy will be prescribed by regulations, which have yet to be released.
As many people have been working from home during the pandemic, and struggling to maintain a work-life balance, this law aims to make that easier for workers in Ontario. This announcement comes just in time for the holidays, ensuring that workers are able to spend time with their families, and loved ones.
Image credit: ©jirsak – stock.adobe.com
