The “Working for Workers Act 2“, has passed third reading and will proceed to the Lieutenant Governor for Royal Assent. This new legislation includes a requirement for “large employers” to inform their employees about how, when, and why the employer is monitoring their work or actions. Ontario would become the first province to require electronic monitoring policies by requiring employers be transparent on how employees’ use of computers, cell phones, GPS systems and other electronic devices are being tracked.
“Whether you are a delivery person being followed by GPS, a construction worker using a company phone, or an office worker logging in from home, you deserve to know if and how you are being tracked,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “The future of work is changing, which is why our government is leading the country to ensure workers remain in the driver’s seat.”
Under the proposed changes, employers with 25 or more workers will be required to have a written electronic monitoring policy in place for all their employees. The policy would need to contain information on whether the employer electronically monitors its workers, and if so, a description of how and in what circumstances the employer does this. In addition, the employer would need to disclose the purpose of collecting information through electronic monitoring.
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