Bill 105, Protecting Ontario’s Workers and Economic Resilience Act, 2026
Chamber
ontario
Stage
Introduced
This Ontario omnibus bill expands worker protections, creates new talent agency rules, streamlines environmental approvals, and adjusts labour and insurance laws.
Key Changes
- Employers are banned from charging employees for required uniforms, or for cleaning and repairing them, with limited exceptions
- Workers' compensation (WSIB) loss-of-earnings benefits increase from 85% to 90% of lost income, and benefits can now continue past age 65 in some cases
- A new Strengthening Talent Agency Regulation Act bans talent agencies from charging fees to entertainment workers and requires them to pay performers within 10 business days
- Several steps in the environmental assessment process for major projects are removed, including mandatory ministry reviews and the public's right to request a tribunal referral
- The window for construction unions to apply for certification or decertification is shortened from two months to one month
- The Ontario Ombudsman must now be bilingual (English and French) and be selected by unanimous agreement of a multi-party panel
Gotchas
- The removal of mandatory ministry reviews and the public's ability to request tribunal referrals for environmental assessments significantly reduces opportunities for public input and third-party oversight on major projects — this change is embedded in a worker-protection bill
- The Ombudsman bilingualism requirement is included in a labour and economic bill with no apparent connection to the other schedules — it affects the independence of an oversight officer of the Legislature
- The Minister gains direct power to appoint and remove Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority board members 'at pleasure,' replacing the more arms-length Lieutenant Governor in Council appointment process, which could affect regulatory independence
- The shortened one-month window for union certification or decertification applications in construction gives workers and unions less time to act, which could make it harder to change union representation
- The WSIB benefit increase to 90% applies prospectively — workers already receiving benefits at 85% will only get the increase going forward from the date the provision comes into force, not retroactively
- Many key details — such as commission caps for talent agencies, penalty amounts, and WSIB review frequencies — are left to future regulations, meaning the full impact of the bill will not be known until those regulations are written
Who's Affected
- Employees who are required to wear uniforms at work
- Injured workers receiving WSIB benefits, especially those near or over age 65
- Performers, actors, background extras, and other entertainment workers
- Talent agencies operating in Ontario
- Construction industry unions and employers
- Proponents of major infrastructure or development projects subject to environmental assessment
- International medical school graduates seeking Ontario residency positions
- Retirement home residents and the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The removal of mandatory ministry reviews and the public's ability to request tribunal referrals for environmental assessments significantly reduces opportunities for public input and third-party oversight on major projects — this change is embedded in a worker-protection bill
- The Ombudsman bilingualism requirement is included in a labour and economic bill with no apparent connection to the other schedules — it affects the independence of an oversight officer of the Legislature
- The Minister gains direct power to appoint and remove Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority board members 'at pleasure,' replacing the more arms-length Lieutenant Governor in Council appointment process, which could affect regulatory independence
- The shortened one-month window for union certification or decertification applications in construction gives workers and unions less time to act, which could make it harder to change union representation
- The WSIB benefit increase to 90% applies prospectively — workers already receiving benefits at 85% will only get the increase going forward from the date the provision comes into force, not retroactively
- Many key details — such as commission caps for talent agencies, penalty amounts, and WSIB review frequencies — are left to future regulations, meaning the full impact of the bill will not be known until those regulations are written
Summary
Bill 105 is a large omnibus bill that makes changes to nine different Ontario laws at once. It introduces new protections for workers — like banning employers from charging employees for uniforms, increasing workplace injury benefits, and extending those benefits past age 65 in some cases. It also creates a brand new law to regulate talent agencies in the entertainment industry, making it illegal for them to charge fees to performers and requiring them to pay workers promptly. The bill also makes it easier and faster for the government to approve infrastructure projects by removing some steps in the environmental assessment process, such as eliminating the mandatory ministry review and the public's ability to request a referral to a tribunal. In the construction sector, the window for unions to apply for certification or decertification is shortened from two months to one month. The bill also allows international medical school graduates with ties to Ontario to be prioritized for medical residency spots, and requires the Ontario Ombudsman to be bilingual in English and French. The bill was introduced by the Minister of Red Tape Reduction and is framed as a way to make Ontario more competitive, protect workers, and improve government efficiency.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses