Even after a hectic holiday season, organizations still need to prepare for changes that are happening in the New Year. The first items on your list should be a review of your HR policies to ensure they are compliant with legislative changes and accurately reflect company procedures. Bill 148 brings forth changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act in 2018. With 175 more Employment Standards Officers and stiffer penalties, you want to be sure these changes are reflected in your HR policies. Bill 148 legislation includes raising minimum wage, increasing vacation time, additional types of unpaid leaves, new record keeping requirements such as scheduling guidelines including the “three hour rule” and no high heel requirements, to name a few. 

While all organizations are bound by the same legislation, changes will effect companies in different ways depending on existing policies. One major change to legislation effective January 1, 2018 is the sanctioning of Personal Emergency Leave days (PEL) for employees regardless of company size. Employees are eligible to take 10 PEL days a year, the first 2 of which are paid days, as long as the employee has worked for at least one week. Employers may not request a medical note until the 11 ^th day of leave. For organizations who already offer paid sick days, PEL days will be in addition and can be used for personal emergencies and illness as well as for medical emergencies, illness, injury or death of a family member. For more information on Bill 148 changes please visit http://bit.ly/2BALgmy

Carrie Deon

Human Resources Generalist

cdeon@mcecor.com