Bill 159 explained in plain English
Employment Standards Amendment Act (Temporary Help Agencies), 2014
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
This bill amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000, to create a licensing regime for temporary help agencies and to set rules for how much they must pay their employees and how many hours their clients' employees can work.
Bill 159, the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Temporary Help Agencies), 2014, amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000, to establish a licensing system for temporary help agencies. It requires these agencies to pay their employees at least 80 per cent of the amount they charge clients for services. The bill also introduces a rule for employers, stating that no more than 25 per cent of their total employee hours can be worked by 'assignment employees' (temporary help agency employees), with some exemptions.
- Establishes a licensing regime for temporary help agencies, meaning they must obtain a licence to operate.
- Requires temporary help agencies to pay their employees at least 80 per cent of the fee they charge their clients for the employees' services.
- Requires temporary help agencies to submit semi-annual reports to the Minister declaring their compliance with the 80 per cent payment rule.
- Prohibits employers from having more than 25 per cent of their total weekly employee hours worked by assignment employees (employees provided by a temporary help agency).
- Provides exemptions to the 25 per cent assignment employee rule for employers with fewer than 10 employees or those experiencing a temporary increase in business volume.
- Allows employers to apply to the Director for an exemption from the 25 per cent assignment employee rule.
- Grants the Director the power to issue, renew, suspend, or revoke licences for temporary help agencies.
- Outlines the process for applying for, renewing, and withdrawing a licence application, including the non-reimbursement of fees upon withdrawal.
- Specifies that licences are not transferable.
- Allows the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations concerning licensing, wage calculations, assignment employee hour calculations, and definitions related to business volume increases.
- Temporary help agencies operating in Ontario.
- Employees working for temporary help agencies (assignment employees).
- Businesses that hire workers from temporary help agencies (clients).
- The Director of Employment Standards (responsible for licensing).
- The Minister of Labour (receives semi-annual reports).
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council (can make regulations).
- Temporary help agencies must obtain a licence to operate.
- Temporary help agencies must pay assignment employees at least 80 per cent of the fee charged to clients.
- Temporary help agencies must submit semi-annual reports to the Minister.
- Employers must ensure assignment employees do not work more than 25 per cent of total weekly hours, with exceptions.
- Applicants for a licence can withdraw their application before it is issued.
- Fees paid for a licence application are not reimbursed if the application is withdrawn.
- The Act comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.
- Temporary help agencies are required to pay prescribed fees for licences.
- These prescribed fees are not reimbursed if an application is withdrawn.
- The Director has the power to suspend or revoke a temporary help agency's licence if they cease to meet requirements, cease operations for 90 days, are no longer suitable, contravene the Act or licence conditions, or in other prescribed circumstances.
- The specific 'prescribed requirements,' 'prescribed circumstances,' 'prescribed fee,' and 'prescribed information' for licensing, exemptions, and reporting are not detailed in this bill and would be defined in regulations.
- The definition of 'temporary increase in business volume' for employer exemptions is not provided and will be defined in regulations.
- The exact method for calculating the 80 per cent wage requirement is to be determined by regulations.
- The exact method for calculating the 25 per cent of hours worked by assignment employees is to be determined by regulations.
Adds new sections to establish a licensing system for temporary help agencies, setting rules for pay, reporting, and the use of assignment employees. It also adds a definition for 'licence'.
Source: Sections 2 and 3 of the bill
Amends section 74.1 (1) by adding the definition of 'licence'.
Source: Section 1 of the bill
Adds new sections detailing the licensing requirements, application process, conditions for issuance, suspension, revocation, and transferability of licences for temporary help agencies.
Source: Section 2 of the bill
Adds new sections that require temporary help agencies to pay assignment employees at least 80 per cent of the client's fee and to submit semi-annual compliance reports.
Source: Section 3 of the bill
Adds new sections that prohibit employers from exceeding a 25 per cent threshold for hours worked by assignment employees, with specified exemptions.
Source: Section 3 of the bill
Amends section 141 by adding a new subsection that allows the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations regarding temporary help agencies.
Source: Section 4 of the bill
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced