Minister of Labour Yasir Naqvi has introduced the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014 (Bill 146), aimed at extending and strengthening employment protections for the growing number of temporary foreign workers in Ontario. The bill includes also an amendment to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to address concerns about occupational safety of workers hired from temporary help agencies.
Currently under WSIB’s experience rating program, an injury to a temporary help agency worker is attributed to the agency, not the client employer. As the Minister notes, this creates an incentive for the employer to contract out the more dangerous work.
Today’s legislation includes some of the recommendations proposed in the Law Commission of Ontario’s report on “Vulnerable Workers and Precarious Work”.