Canada implements new measures to ensure safer workplaces

To make workplaces safer and with the aim of promoting equality and protection of workers’ rights, Canada has brought into force certain changes in the legislative and regulative areas from January 1, 2021. The Canada Labor Code has been modernized. The new measures taken will prove assuring and encouraging to those who are willing to come to work in Canada.

The following changes were announced by Filomena Tassi, the Minister of Labor.

• All harassment and violence in the workplace will be dealt with using Bill C-65 (Anti-Harassment and Violence legislation).
• It’s now required of employers in workplaces that are federally regulated to:
  • Do an assessment of the workplace
  • Develop a policy to stop violence and harassment in the workplace
  • Develop and run the training to deal with violence and harassment in workplaces
  • Put in place a thorough process for dealing with such incidents
• Part IV of the Code that deals with Administrative Monetary Penalties establish a system in which penalties in money will be imposed on employers not complying with the Code’s standards for health and safety or labor standards.
• The penalty charged could come up to $250,000. The amount will be calculated on what type of violation was committed. Other aspects considered are the size of the business and any penalties for violations previously accrued. These could be violations of the same or higher category.
• To help employers adjust to the new changes, certain leniency has been shown. This includes the non-imposition of monetary penalties for administrative violations until January 1, 2022.
• Amendments have been made to the Employment Equity Regulations to ensure equality in the workplace.
• There are new transparency measures installed in the pay system to raise awareness of the gaps in wages paid to women, disabled people, indigenous people, and people of visible minorities.
• It’s expected that the first release of aggregated wage gap data will be done in the winter of 2023.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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