Bill 77, Speaking Out About, and Reporting On, Workplace Violence and Harassment Act, 2025
Chamber
ontario
Stage
Introduced
This Ontario bill protects workers from reprisals for reporting workplace violence or harassment and requires hospitals and long-term care homes to publicly report monthly incident numbers.
Key Changes
- Expands reprisal protections to cover workers who speak out publicly about workplace violence or harassment
- Clearly defines 'reprisal' to include firing, demotion, suspension, pay cuts, transfers, threats, and intimidation
- Protects workers who report incidents to employers, unions, inspectors, or the general public
- Protects workers who participate in workplace violence or harassment investigations
- Requires hospitals to publicly post monthly counts of workplace violence and harassment incidents on their websites
- Requires long-term care homes to publicly post monthly counts of workplace violence and harassment incidents on their websites
Gotchas
- The bill does not specify what format or detail the monthly public reports must take — only that the number of incidents must be posted, which may limit the usefulness of the data.
- The bill does not establish a minimum threshold or verification process for reported incidents, which could affect consistency across institutions.
- Reprisal protections apply only when workers act 'in good faith,' meaning workers who make false or malicious reports may not be protected.
- The bill applies specifically to hospitals and long-term care homes for reporting requirements, leaving out other healthcare or high-risk workplaces such as home care agencies or psychiatric facilities.
- The bill takes effect immediately upon Royal Assent, with no transition period for employers to set up reporting systems.
Who's Affected
- Hospital workers (nurses, support staff, etc.)
- Long-term care home workers
- All Ontario workers covered under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Hospital and long-term care home employers and administrators
- Patients and families who may use public incident data
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill does not specify what format or detail the monthly public reports must take — only that the number of incidents must be posted, which may limit the usefulness of the data.
- The bill does not establish a minimum threshold or verification process for reported incidents, which could affect consistency across institutions.
- Reprisal protections apply only when workers act 'in good faith,' meaning workers who make false or malicious reports may not be protected.
- The bill applies specifically to hospitals and long-term care homes for reporting requirements, leaving out other healthcare or high-risk workplaces such as home care agencies or psychiatric facilities.
- The bill takes effect immediately upon Royal Assent, with no transition period for employers to set up reporting systems.
Summary
Bill 77 makes two main changes to Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act. First, it strengthens protections for workers who speak out about workplace violence or harassment. Employers cannot punish workers — through firing, demotion, suspension, pay cuts, threats, or other negative actions — for reporting incidents, participating in investigations, or even speaking publicly about these issues. Second, it requires hospitals and long-term care homes to post monthly reports on their websites showing how many incidents of workplace violence and harassment occurred the previous month. The bill was introduced to address concerns that workers, particularly in healthcare settings, may face retaliation when they report unsafe conditions. By clearly defining what counts as a 'reprisal' and expanding protections to include public disclosures, the bill aims to make it safer for workers to come forward. The public reporting requirement is meant to increase transparency and accountability in high-risk workplaces like hospitals and long-term care homes. This bill is currently at First Reading in the Ontario Legislative Assembly, meaning it has been introduced but not yet debated or passed.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses