Bill 30: Ontario has Proposed a Family Caregiver Leave
Bill 30 in Ontario, Canada
Navigating through the numerous leave of absence provisions in the Employment Standards Act (“ESA”) is about to get even more difficult.
On December 8th, 2011, the Ministry of Labour introduced Bill 30. If it becomes law, employees will be entitled to take up to 8 weeks off work each year to care for certain family members and relatives suffering from a serious medical condition.
What is a Serious Medical Condition?
Bill 30 does not currently define the term “serious medical condition”, which will no doubt make it difficult for employers to manage this kind of leave. Hopefully the government will amend this bill to include a definition for this term before it becomes law.
Yet Another Mandated Leave of Absence
Did you know that this would be the sixth new leave of absence introduced into the ESA in the past 7 years? The others are: personal emergency leave, declared emergency leave, family medical leave, reservist leave and organ donor leave.
Is there a Small Business Exemption?
No. Except for personal emergency leave, which applies only in workplaces with more than 50 employees, the government does not recognize that accommodating these mandatory leaves is more difficult for small employers.
What is a Small Employer to Do?
The introduction of another statutory imposed leave of absence makes scheduling work that much more difficult for small employers.
Employers will need a more flexible work force that can take on the duties of others with little or no notice. Cross training and outsourcing will no doubt become more prevalent.
Our Winter 2012 Breakfast seminar
Bill 30 is one of ten topics we will be covering in our complimentary breakfast seminars on February 27th & 28th in Toronto and March 2nd in Barrie. For more information on the seminar, please click here.
If you have any questions about Bill 30 or other leaves of absence under the Employment Standards Act, please call us at 1-888-640-1728 or e-mail us at [email protected].
For more employer information about the Employment Standards Act, please click here.
The material and information in this blog and this website are for general information only. They should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. The authors make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of any information referred to in this blog or its links. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found on this website or blog. Readers should obtain appropriate professional advice from a lawyer duly licensed in the relevant jurisdiction. These materials do not create a lawyer-client relationship between you and any of the authors or the MacLeod Law Firm.
Recent Posts
Employment Contracts: Unenforceable Termination Clause Costs Employer over $ 400 000
A recent case underscores the importance of including a properly drafted termination clause in your organization’s employment contract. The Facts In March 2010, CIGI hired Mark Menard, a chartered accountant, as Senior Director of Finance. He was responsible for the...
read moreDirectors Sent to Jail for Failure to Pay Employee Wages
If you are a director or a party to a unanimous shareholder agreement did you know that you are personally liable for unpaid wages and you could go to jail for up to one year for failing to pay them? So if you are a small business owner, have signed a unanimous...
read moreOntario’s New Employer-Friendly Employment Laws
Some recent changes in the law make Ontario’s employment laws more employer-friendly - especially for small businesses. This blog discusses five of these changes. Eliminating a scheduled increase in the minimum wage Under Bill 148, the minimum wage was scheduled to...
read more