Protecting Ontario’s Workers and Economic Resilience Act, 2026

SUMMARY FROM THE OFFICIAL REGISTRY

What you need to know

SCHEDULE 1 EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ACT, 2000 The Schedule adds section 13.1 to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 to prohibit employers from requiring employees to pay for uniforms or other prescribed items, or for their repair or laundering, except in limited circumstances such as loss, damage beyond normal wear and tear or failure to return items as agreed. Amounts improperly charged are enforceable as wages owing. Transitional rules address conflicts with existing collective agreements. The Schedule also adds section 96.1, allowing the Director to assign certain complaints for inspection and to refuse to assign certain complaints for investigation or inspection in specified circumstances. Section 128 is amended to replace the rules for apportioning money collected in enforcement matters, requiring that employees be paid first and that any remaining amounts be divided proportionally among the collector, the Director and the Minister of Finance. SCHEDULE 2 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ACT The Schedule amends the Environmental Assessment Act . Some highlights include: 1. Section 15 of the Act is re-enacted to authorize the prescribing of approved class environmental assessments and to provide that sections 15.1 to 17 apply to undertakings to which a prescribed approved class environmental assessment applies. 2. Amendments to section 17.2 provide that, where a Part II.3 project has more than one proponent, an application for approval by any one proponent is sufficient, and corresponding transition rules are added. 3. Sections 17.11 to 17.13 are repealed to remove the requirement for a ministry review of environmental assessments and the ability for any person to request that an application be referred to the Tribunal. 4. Section 17.15 is amended to remove the requirement for Lieutenant Governor in Council approval of a Minister’s decision. New section 17.15.1 is added to authorize the Minister to refer the approval decision to the Lieutenant Governor in Council. 5. Amendments to section 17.29 provide that, for Part II.4 projects with multiple proponents, compliance by one proponent with prescribed requirements for commencement is sufficient. 6. Various consequential, transitional and regulation‑making amendments are made throughout the Act. SCHEDULE 3 LABOUR RELATIONS ACT, 1995 The Schedule amends certain timelines set out in the Labour Relations Act, 1995 relating to the construction industry. Currently, the Act provides for two-month timelines in which another trade union may apply to the Board for certification as bargaining agent for employees to whom a collective agreement applies, and two-month timelines for applying for a declaration that a trade union no longer represents the employees in a bargaining unit. The Schedule amends the Act to provide for one-month timelines instead. SCHEDULE 4 MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE ACT The Schedule amends section 12 of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Act to add the authority to make regulations governing the admission of graduates of a medical school outside of Canada to an Ontario medical residency program, including prescribing processes to prioritize the admission of graduates who have a connection to Ontario, specifying when a graduate has a connection to Ontario and defining “medical school outside of Canada” and “Ontario medical residency program”. SCHEDULE 5 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT The Schedule amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act to permit the Chief Prevention Officer to collect personal information about workers’ exposure to a physical, chemical or biological agent for the purpose of maintaining a worker occupational exposure registry and other purposes. The Act is amended to provide that, in certain circumstances, the Minister may recognize standards for training, personal protective equipment and other equipment that comply with requirements in another Canadian jurisdiction or the requirements under an agreement between Ontario and another Canadian jurisdiction. The Minister is authorized to reimburse such employers and constructors as may be prescribed for the cost of purchasing such protective headwear as may be prescribed. Related and consequential amendments are made. SCHEDULE 6 OMBUDSMAN ACT Subsection 2 (3) of the Ombudsman Act is re-enacted to provide that an order by the Assembly to appoint the Ombudsman can be made only if two conditions are met, the first being that the person to be appointed is proficient in English and French and the second being that the person has been selected by unanimous agreement of a panel composed of one member of the Assembly from each recognized party and chaired by the Speaker who is a non-voting member, unless decided otherwise by unanimous consent of the Assembly. SCHEDULE 7 RETIREMENT HOMES ACT, 2010 The Schedule amends the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 .