What legislations protect Canadian & Ontario

workers?
Statutory Employment Relations
Overseen by the Ministry of Labour

Employment Standards Act

Employment Standards Act

Hours of work
Minimum wages
Overtime
Meal Breaks
Vacations
Stat. Holidays
Termination, etc.
The ESA is enforced by the ESA Tribunal

Occupational Health & Safety Act

Sets out the Health & Safety Rights & Duties for: employers, employees, supervisors
and others in the workplace
The OHSA protects the workers right to refuse unsafe work.
The OHSA also provides for the establishment of Joint Health & Safety Committees
(both employees and employers are equally represented in the committee) the duty of

the committee is to make sure the workplace is safe and to represent the interests of
workers.
Workplaces are subject to inspection by Ministry of Labour Inspectors anyone can
make an anonymous report of unsafe working conditions Inspectors have a lot of
power, for example, they can close a workplace if they deem it to be unsafe

 Example: Workers in a workplace where

hazardous materials must be WHMIS (Workplace
Hazardous Materials Information System) trained
It is the duty of the employer to make sure all
employees are trained

Workplace Safety and Insurance Act

Workplace Safety and Insurance Act
The WSIA protects the rights of workers who are
injured at work.
The WSIB provides benefits to cover medical
treatment, loss of wages and job retraining for those
employees who become injured during the course of
their employment.

Ontario Labour Relations Act

Ontario Labour Relations Act
The OLRA protects workers right to form a union at their
workplace and governs employment relations in a unionized
environment.
It provides for the formal legal process of unionization.
It provides for the collective bargaining process.
It provides for a grievance procedure.
The OLRA is enforced by The Ontario Labour Relations
Board OLRB.

OHRC
Ontario Human Rights Code
The OHRC protects workers from discrimination at
work and in the hiring process. It protects workers
from discrimination and harassment at work. The
OHRC prohibits discrimination against a person on
the basis of their: 16 grounds (17?)