Proposed amendments to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act and workers’ compensation-related provisions in employment legislation in the 43rd & 42nd Parliaments of the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Click on the title to see the full content of each bill, status and links to debate.
43rd Parliament, 1st session (Aug. 8, 2022 – )
Bill 190, Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 Introduced May 6, 2024 by Hon. David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development. Schedule 6 would include wildland firefighters and wildland fire investigators in WSIB presumptive coverage for PTSD and presumptive coverage for occupational cancer and heart injuries. 2nd reading debate May 8,9,16; Standing Cttee Finance & Economic Affairs Oct. 8, 9, 23, reported as amended; 3rd reading Oct. 23, 24, 28; Royal Assent Oct. 28.
Bill 179, Fewer Backlogs and Less Partisan Tribunals Act, 2024 Introduced Mar. 25, 2024 by Ted Hsu, Lib (MPP – Kingston & Islands). Based on draft by Ron Ellis, bill establishes the Adjudicative Tribunal Justice Council and improve the transparency, independence and capacities of administrative tribunals.
Bill 149, Working for Workers Four Act, 2023 Introduced Nov. 14, 2023 by Hon. David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development. Schedule 4 would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act by 1) enabling “super indexing”, adjustments to WSIB benefits above the annual rate of inflation; and 2) improving cancer (esophageal) coverage for firefighters. 2nd reading debate Nov. 16, 21-23, Standing Cttee on Social Policy Feb. 12-14, 20; 3rd reading Feb. 22, 28, Mar. 18-19, Royal Assent Mar. 21.
Bill 127, Captain Craig Bowman Act, 2023 (Workplace Safety & Insurance Act amendment). Introduced Jun. 7, 2023 by Jeff Burch, NDP (MPP – Niagara Centre). Bill would lower the minimum length of service to 20 years for firefighters with regard to the presumption for primary-site esophageal cancer.
Bill 118, Injured Workers Day Act, 2023. Introduced May 31, 2023 by Jamie West, NDP (MPP – Sudbury). Bill would proclaim June 1 in each year as Injured Workers Day. Second reading May 30, 2024; referred to Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs; 3rd reading Dec. 11, 2024 (vote passed, yet to receive Royal Assent)
Bill 57, Respecting Injured Workers Act, 2022 (Workplace Safety & Insurance Act amendment). Introduced Dec. 7, 2022 by Wayne Gates, NDP (MPP – Niagara Falls). Bill would end the practice of deeming so that WSIB would not determine earnings based on employment a worker doesn’t have, unless the worker refused a job in bad faith. (Previously introduced as Bill 119 in 2019)
Bill 54. WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act, 2022. Introduced December 7, 2022 by John Fraser, Lib (MPP – Ottawa South). Amends Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that employers are operate these facilities are considered a Schedule I employer.
Bill 46, Less Red Tape, Stronger Ontario Act, 2022. Introduced November 23, 2022 by Hon. Parm Gill, Minister of Red Tape Reduction. Schedule 9 amends Workplace Safety and Insurance Act sections 53, 159, 162 and 166, and definition of health care practitioner.
Bill 2, Plan to Build Act (Budget Measures), 2022. Introduced August 18, 2022 by Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvey, Minister of Finance. Schedule 6 (Workplace Safety and Insurance Act amendment) repeals s. 165(1) which requires that the WSIB head office is located in Toronto. 2nd reading debate Aug. 11,17,18,29,30; 3rd reading Aug. 31, passed Sep. 1.
42nd Parliament, 2nd session (Oct. 4, 2021 – May 3, 2022)
Bill 88, Working for Workers Act, 2022. Introduced February 28, 2022 by Hon. Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Addresses selected Digital Platform Workers (gig workers) rights; amends Employment standards Act (IT consultants, electronic monitoring) and Occupational Health and Safety (naloxone in the workplace). Hearings, debate at Standing Committee on Social Policy Mar. 9-10, Apr. 4; reported as amended; passed 3rd reading Apr, 7.
Bill 68, Speaking Out About Workplace Violence and Harassment Act, 2021. Introduced December 6, 2021 by France Gélinas (NDP MPP – Nickel Belt). Amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act to protect workers against reprisals for reporting or speaking out on violence or harassment.
Bill 43, Build Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021. Introduced November 4, 2021 by Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. Schedule 9 amends determination of the minimum wage under the Employment Standards Act. Hearings, debate at Standing Committee on Finance & Economic Affairs, Nov. 26,28, Dec. 3.6.; reported as amended; passed 3rd reading Dec. 9
Bill 28, Preventing Worker Misclassification Act, 2021. Introduced October 26, 2021 by Peggy Sattler (NDP MPP – London West).
Topic: gig and contract employees (amends Employment Standards Act).
Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021
Introduced Oct. 25, 2021 by Hon. Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Schedule 6 amends Workplace Safety & Insurance Act (WSIA) to allow distribution of “surplus” funds; Schedule 2 (Employment Standards Act) addresses temp help agencies (though regulations under WSIA s83(4) still not in effect). Hearings, debate at Standing Committee on Social Policy Nov. 15-18, 23; reported as amended; passed 3rd reading Nov. 30.
Bill 16, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act, 2021
Introduced Oct. 7 by John Fraser (LIB MPP – Ottawa South). Amendment to WSIA would make an employer operating one of these facilities a Schedule I employer for purposes of the Act.
42nd Parliament, 1st session (July 11, 2018 – Sep. 12, 2021)
Bill 284, COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, 2021
Introduced by Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton Apr. 29. Debated, passed with Royal Assent Apr. 29. Topic: Amends Employment Standards Act to provide 3 paid days for COVID-related leave for sickness, vaccinations under certain circumstances; eligible employers may apply to WSIB for reimbursements (with exceptions, until Jan 22, 2022).
Bill 267, Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act (Access to Mental Health Support for Essential Workers), 2021
Introduced Mar. 23 by Monique Taylor (NDP MPP – Hamilton Mountain). Topic: Occupational disease. Amendment seeks to guarantee workers designated as essential or working in a workplace designated as essential have access to presumptive coverage for WSIB mental health benefits for chronic or traumatic mental stress injuries. Motion for second reading lost on division Apr. 12
Bill 238, Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021
Introduced Dec. 8, 2020 by Hon. Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Topic: Premiums, Ministerial Powers. COVID-related measure to “help protect businesses from unexpected increases in their WSIB premiums while maintaining an increase to the earnings cap for worker benefits…” Third reading passed Apr. 13 ; royal assent Apr. 14
Bill 194, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act, 2020
Introduced July 6, 2020 by John Fraser (Lib MPP – Ottawa South). Topic: Coverage. “This is about WSIB coverage for workers in residential care facilities or group homes and would make everyone who operates one of those a schedule 1 employer. There’s a basic inequity where people are doing the same work with different coverage. It’s the third time I’ve introduced the bill.”
Bill 191, Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act (Presumption Respecting COVID-19), 2020
Introduced May 19, 2020 by Wayne Gates (NDP MPP – Niagara Falls). Topic: Occupational Disease. “If a worker for an essential business [in an order made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act] receives a positive test for the disease known as COVID-19, the disease is presumed to be an occupational disease that occurred due to the nature of the worker’s work unless the contrary is shown. The presumption applies to a positive test received on or after January 25, 2020.”
Bill 119, Respecting Injured Workers Act (Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment), 2019
Introduced May 27, 2019 by Wayne Gates (NDP MPP – Niagara Falls). Question period discussion June 1, 2021. Topic: Deeming. “Currently, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board may decide that a worker is able to earn amounts that they are not actually earning, on the basis of suitable and available work they do not actually have. The amendments would prevent that from happening, unless the worker refuses employment in bad faith.”