New Program Now Open to Protect Employees and Support Employers
Ontario is supporting employers and employees by raising awareness of workplace rights and responsibilities through the new Employment Standards Training and Education Program.
The program will provide grants to non-profit organizations that will help develop projects that educate vulnerable workers or small- and mid-sized businesses on their rights and duties under the Employment Standards Act.
Eligible non-profit organizations can apply for the grant online. The application deadline is 4 p.m. on October 30, 2017, and successful applicants will be announced in 2018.
This new grant program responds to recommendations in the final report of the Changing Workplaces Review for continued collaboration with other organizations on education and outreach. Ontario is also making changes to create more opportunity and security for workers through its plan for Fair Workplaces and Better Jobs. Proposed legislative measures includes increasing the minimum wage, ensuring part-time workers are paid the same hourly wage as full-time workers, introducing paid personal emergency leave days for every worker and stepping up enforcement of employment laws.
Protecting workers and supporting business is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.
Quick Facts
- Ontario is investing $500,000 to the Employment Standards Training and Education Program.
- Ontario also conducts regular workplace inspections in high-risk sectors to increase awareness of and compliance with the Employment Standards Act. The province is currently hiring up to 175 more employment standards officers to bolster its enforcement efforts.
- There are 6.92 million workers in Ontario. Small businesses represent 95 per cent of all employers in the province and they employ 28 per cent of Ontario’s workers.
Additional Resources
- Learn more about your employment rights
- What businesses need to know about employment standards
Quotes
“People in our province expect to be treated fairly at work. And that’s why everyone should know their rights and responsibilities at the workplace. By working with and leveraging the expertise of groups working directly on the frontlines with businesses and vulnerable workers, we can better ensure that workplaces get the vital information they need.”
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