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Ontario Labour Law 2024: Working for Workers Five Act
Ontario’s push to modernize labour laws and open more doors to employment continues with the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024. With Royal Assent granted on October 28, 2024, this legislation introduces significant updates aimed at improving fairness in hiring, strengthening workplace health and safety, and expanding access to skilled trades and regulated professions.
Whether you are an organization looking to meet new legal requirements, or an individual navigating employment, these changes could affect you.
Transparency in Job Postings and Hiring
One of the most talked-about elements of the Working for Workers Five Act is its effort to crack down on misleading job advertisements. Employers are now required to disclose whether a publicly advertised job posting represents an actual vacancy. If someone applies and is interviewed for the role, the employer must also provide prescribed information about the process within a set time. Employers will be obligated to retain that interview-related information for three years.
These changes were introduced in response to concerns about fake job ads and uncommunicated hiring practices, which can cost applicants time and effort without leading to real opportunities.
Expanded Sick Leave Privacy
Another notable amendment limits what employers can ask from workers who take job-protected sick leave. Under the new law, employers cannot require a doctor’s note (or a certificate from any qualified health practitioner) as evidence for taking sick leave. However, they may still ask for other reasonable evidence in the circumstances. This change aims to reduce pressure on the health care system and create a more respectful approach to medical privacy.
Virtual Harassment and Health & Safety Modernization
The Act brings Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act into the digital age. The definition of workplace harassment and sexual harassment now explicitly includes behaviour that occurs virtually through information and communication technology.
Other workplace safety enhancements include:
Legal recognition that telework from home falls under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
A new requirement for employers and constructors to keep washroom facilities clean and sanitary, with records to prove it.
New flexibility allowing required postings, such as health and safety summaries, to be shared electronically rather than only on paper.
These changes reflect Ontario’s evolving work environments and are particularly relevant for workplaces adopting hybrid or remote models.
Improved Access to Skilled Trades and Regulated Professions
The legislation eases academic requirements for people pursuing careers in the skilled trades by introducing “alternative criteria” to replace traditional standards. For newcomers to Ontario and those trained outside the province, regulated professions must now have clear policies on accepting alternative documentation if standard documents aren’t available due to circumstances beyond the applicant’s control.
There’s also a new requirement for regulated professions to plan for “parallel processing,” which allows applicants to continue with other parts of their registration while waiting for delays to resolve.
Better WSIB Coverage for Firefighters and Investigators
Wildland firefighters and fire investigators have also received added recognition. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act has been amended to give these workers presumptive coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder and skin cancer. This means claims will be processed more quickly and fairly, especially important for workers facing unique physical and psychological risks on the job.
Why This Act Matters
For Ontario organizations, these new obligations could require policy updates, training, and adjustments to recruitment processes. For workers and job seekers, the legislation promises better transparency, fairness, and recognition of modern work realities.
If you’re unsure how these changes affect your workplace or your rights as a worker, an employment lawyer can help you understand your obligations and options.
→ Need guidance? Contact Achkar Law at 1-800-771-7882 or email [email protected] to speak with a workplace lawyer.
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