[Update: Bill 109 passes Dec. 10, 2015]
Minister of Labour, Kevin Flynn, introduced Bill 109, Employment and Labour Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015 today in the House. Schedule 3 of the bill proposes changes to the Workplace Safety and Amendment Act regarding survivor benefits, claims suppression, and increased corporate penalties.
- Section 22.1 is added to protect injured workers from employer retribution or pressure over reporting of occupational injury or illness
- Section 48.1 is added to allow the Board to determine survivor benefits based on the average earnings at time of injury of the deceased worker’s occupation
- Section 158 increases maximum penalty to $500,000 for employers convicted of an offense under the Act, such as providing false or misleading information or failing to report a material change in circumstance within 10 days
- Section 176.1 (new) requires the WSIB Board of Directors to appoint a Fair Practices Commissioner as ombudsman of the Board
More information: Ontario Government. 2015, May 28. News release: Ontario Proposing Changes to Legislation for Injured Workers, Broader Public Sector and Firefighters