Canada Report: In Ontario, workers now have a 'right to disconnect' from the workplace
Taking work home by phone and checking e-mail all evening could be a thing of the past with Ontario’s “right to disconnect” law.
The novel law, now in effect, requires businesses to develop policies that allow employees to disconnect outside of regular office hours.
Enacted in Canada’s largest province, it defines the disengagement as “not engaging in work-related communications, including e-mails, telephone and video calls or sending or reviewing other messages.”
Allowing workers to “be free from the performance of work,” it requires bosses to have a written policy in place for all employees with respect to disconnecting from work.”
Labor lawyers aren’t impressed, saying it doesn’t cover much new ground and is very bureaucratic.
It applies to employers who have 25 or more employees and was in response to burnout and the constraints of working from home during the pandemic.
Canada offering long-term visa
For families wanting to keep their in-laws and other relatives around as visitors longer, the Canadian government now offers a “Super Visa Program.”
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can invite parents and grandparents to come to Canada as long-term visitors on a multi-entry visa that remains valid for up to 10 years.
Unlike standard visitor visas, it allows visa holders to stay in Canada for up to two years on initial entry to the country.
Starting on July 4, super visa holders will be able to stay in Canada for five years with an option to extend two more years.
Previously, parents and grandparents were only allowed to visit family in Canada for no longer than two years at a time. This now is valid for 10 years and allows multiple entries.
PREVIOUS CANADA REPORTS:
In brief
• The pent-up demand by Canadians to fly has led to chaos at major airports. It’s blamed by Air Canada on a lack of staff and by the government on travelers with expired or improper documents along with COVID-19 restrictions. Travelers reported canceled flights and lines of several hundred people at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said 400 additional screening officers will start work later this month while warning the backlogs will continue, likely into the fall.
• Canada’s economy added 40,000 jobs last month with a gain in full-time jobs as the labor market continued to tighten. Statistics Canada said the jump came as the jobless rate fell to 5.1%. That is the lowest since 1976, as far back as comparable data is kept. The unemployment rate was 5.2% in April. Meanwhile, the country’s inflation rate rose to a multi-decade high of 5.7%, driven largely by higher prices for gas and groceries.
Facts and figures
• Canada’s dollar is lower at 79 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.27 in Canadian funds, before exchange fees.
• The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is 1.5% while the prime lending rate at commercial banks is 3.7%.
• Canadian stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto index up at 20,563 points while the TSX Venture index is down at 700 points.
• The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $2.10 a liter or $7.98 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.
• Lotto Max: (June 7) 6, 13, 17, 20, 28, 36, and 44; bonus 31. (June 3) 2, 16, 17, 21, 38, 43 and 45; bonus 42.
• Lotto 6/49: (June 8) 6, 22, 32, 39, 40 and 46; bonus 26. (June 1) 1, 15, 16, 19 ,44 and 48; bonus 5.
Regional briefs
• The growing number of vehicle hijackings took a turn for the bizarre when a man tried to drive off with a transit bus in service in Mississauga, near Toronto. When the driver fought him off and brought the bus to a halt, the man then stole a transit supervisor’s van in the 1 a.m. incident. Police followed a GPS signal to locate the van and arrested the suspect.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Ontario orders employers to let workers disconnect outside normal hours
