Chamber
ontario
Stage
Introduced
This Ontario bill requires mandatory sexual violence and harassment prevention training for liquor-licensed venue staff and updates workplace safety laws.
Key Changes
- Requires the Registrar to develop an evidence-based, trauma-informed sexual violence and harassment prevention training program for liquor-licensed venues
- Makes this training mandatory for all servers, security personnel, and supervisors at licensed premises before they begin work
- Requires every liquor licence or permit holder to have a written sexual violence and harassment policy
- Requires licensed venues to display a sign confirming that staff have completed the training
- Adds a formal definition of 'workplace sexual violence' to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including online and intimate partner contexts
- Requires all Ontario employers to ensure every worker, supervisor, and committee member completes Chief Prevention Officer-approved sexual harassment training
Gotchas
- The bill includes a liability clarification stating that completing the training does not, on its own, make a person liable in a civil proceeding related to sexual violence or harassment allegations
- Existing licence and permit holders and their staff have a four-month transition period after the Act comes into force to complete the training
- The Act comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent, giving venues and workplaces time to prepare
- The bill does not specify penalties for non-compliance with the training or policy requirements, leaving enforcement details to existing regulatory frameworks
- The bill was introduced by opposition MPPs, meaning it may face challenges advancing through a majority government legislature
Who's Affected
- Owners and operators of bars, restaurants, clubs, and other liquor-licensed venues in Ontario
- Servers, bartenders, and other liquor service staff
- Security personnel at licensed premises
- Supervisors and managers at licensed venues
- All Ontario employers and workers across all industries (due to Occupational Health and Safety Act changes)
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill includes a liability clarification stating that completing the training does not, on its own, make a person liable in a civil proceeding related to sexual violence or harassment allegations
- Existing licence and permit holders and their staff have a four-month transition period after the Act comes into force to complete the training
- The Act comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent, giving venues and workplaces time to prepare
- The bill does not specify penalties for non-compliance with the training or policy requirements, leaving enforcement details to existing regulatory frameworks
- The bill was introduced by opposition MPPs, meaning it may face challenges advancing through a majority government legislature
Summary
Bill 88, the Safe Night Out Act, 2025, makes two main changes to Ontario law. First, it amends the Liquor Licence and Control Act to require that a government-developed training program on sexual violence and harassment prevention be completed by all liquor servers, security staff, and supervisors at licensed venues before they start work. Every licensed venue must also create a written policy on how to handle incidents of sexual violence or harassment and post a sign confirming staff have completed the training. Second, the bill updates the Occupational Health and Safety Act to formally define 'workplace sexual violence,' require that existing workplace policies specifically address sexual violence and sexual harassment, and make sexual harassment prevention training — approved by the Chief Prevention Officer — mandatory for all workers, supervisors, and committee members in every Ontario workplace. The bill was introduced by opposition MPPs and appears aimed at reducing sexual violence and harassment in bars, clubs, and other licensed venues, as well as strengthening protections for workers across all industries in Ontario.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses