By Trucking HR Canada
The Canada Labour Code has undergone numerous changes in recent years. Federally regulated employers need to understand these changes to ensure they remain compliant with the Code and other federal legislation. With Fall approaching, we wanted to provide an overview of changes that have come into force in the last year, as well as highlight some that are on the horizon for late 2023 and early 2024.
For more details about regulatory updates visit our website.
1. JULY 9 AMENDMENTS
(Budget Implementation Act 2018)
Two amendments to the Canada Labour Code, part of the Budget Implementation Act of 2018, came into effect on July 9, 2023. The amendments compel federally regulated employers to:
- Reimburse employees for reasonable work-related expenses.
- Provide employees with a written employment statement.
- Provide employees with information about their rights and their employers’ rights under part III of the Canada Labour Code.
Click here to learn more.
2. MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS
As of December 15, 2023, federally regulated employers will need to make menstrual products freely available to workers in the workplace.
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3. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
(Budget Implementation Act 2018)
On February 1, 2024, new amendments come into force that update the individual termination of employment provisions to ensure employees receive sufficient notice and/or compensation when their jobs are terminated. The amendments introduce a graduated notice of termination that increases based on the employee’s length of service.
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4. PAID MEDICAL LEAVE
(Bill C-3)
Bill C-3 received Royal Assent on December 17, 2021 and came into first on December 1, 2022. It introduced new provisions that compel employers to provide employees with up to 10 days of paid medical leave per year, and a leave of absence from work of up to 8 weeks in the event of the death of a child or loss of an unborn child.
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5. ACCESSIBLE CANADA ACT
(Accessibility Plans)
The Accessible Canada Act, which was adopted in 2019, introduces important new requirements for federally regulated employers. Those with 100 or more employees were required to prepare and publish an Accessibility Plan by June 1, 2023. Employers with 10 – 99 employees have until June 1, 2024 to prepare and publish their Accessibility Plan.
Click here for a sample plan.
6. WORKPLACE HARASSMENT AND
VIOLENCE PREVENTION REGULATIONS
(Bill C-65)
Bill C-65 came into force on January 1, 2021. It introduced sweeping new requirements for the handling of workplace harassment and violence prevention in federally regulated workplaces. Employers were required to train their workforce, identify and train a Designated Recipient, and adapt to a new complaint resolution process. Trucking HR Canada produced a number of resources and training modules to help employers comply with these requirements, all of which are accessible on our website. As we approach the third anniversary of the Regulations coming into force, we want to remind employers that many components of their workplace harassment and violence prevention strategies will be coming up for renewal in 2024.
Click here for training.
7. PAY EQUITY ACT
The Pay Equity Act received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018, and came into force on August 31, 2021. It establishes a proactive pay equity regime for federally regulated workplaces with 10 or more employees. Under the Act, employers will be required to proactively analyze compensation practices to ensure equal pay is provided for work of equal value.
Federally regulated employers with 10 or more employees must develop a Pay Equity Plan. Those that had 10+ employees in the year before the Act came into force will have three years from that date to develop and publish their plan. Because this date—August 31, 2024—falls on a Saturday, the Canada Human Rights Commission is advising employers to complete their plan by September 3, 2024. Employers that come to employ 10+ employees at any point after the Act came into force will become subject to the Act in the following year and will have 3 years from that date to implement their plan.
Click here to learn more.
