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OntarioDid not become law (session ended)41st Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 143 explained in plain English

Employment Standards Amendment Act (Temporary Help Agencies), 2015

Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature
Legislature / Parliament
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Session
41st Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill 143
Full title
Employment Standards Amendment Act (Temporary Help Agencies), 2015
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
Standing Committee on Justice Policy
Last updated
Dec 3, 2015

Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.

Chamber
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Current Stage
Standing Committee on Justice Policy
Latest Activity
Dec 3, 2015
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill 143, the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Temporary Help Agencies), 2015, introduces a licensing system for temporary help agencies, mandates specific wage and reporting requirements for them, and limits the proportion of hours assignment employees can work for client employers.

What It Means

This bill, titled the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Temporary Help Agencies), 2015, aims to establish a licensing system for temporary help agencies in Ontario. It also introduces rules regarding how these agencies must pay their employees and limits on the use of assignment employees by client employers. The bill outlines the process for applying for, renewing, suspending, and revoking these licenses, and sets requirements for temporary help agencies to report on their compliance with certain provisions.

What This Bill Does
  • Establishes a licensing regime for temporary help agencies.
  • Requires temporary help agencies to pay their employees at least 80 per cent of the amount they charge clients for those employees' services.
  • Requires employers to ensure that no more than 25 per cent of their employees' total work hours are performed by assignment employees, with some exemptions.
  • Sets out the procedures for applying for, renewing, suspending, and revoking licenses for temporary help agencies.
  • Requires temporary help agencies to submit semi-annual reports to the Minister on their compliance with certain requirements.
  • Provides exemptions for employers with fewer than 10 employees and for those experiencing a temporary increase in business volume from the 25 per cent assignment employee limit.
  • Allows employers to apply to the Director for an exemption from the 25 per cent assignment employee limit.
Who Is Affected
  • Temporary help agencies operating in Ontario.
  • Employees of temporary help agencies.
  • Employers who use the services of temporary help agencies.
  • The Director of Employment Standards (or equivalent position responsible for licensing).
  • The Minister of Labour (or equivalent provincial minister).
Rights, Duties, Or Obligations
  • 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 compliance reports.
  • Client employers must ensure assignment employees do not exceed 25 per cent of total weekly work hours, with specified exemptions.
  • Applicants have the right to withdraw their license or renewal application before it is approved.
  • Applicants are not reimbursed for prescribed fees if they withdraw their application.
Important Dates
  • The Act comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.
Financial Or Tax Impacts
  • Temporary help agencies are required to pay prescribed fees for license applications and renewals.
  • The bill requires temporary help agencies to pay employees at least 80% of the amount charged to clients, which may affect their revenue and expenses.
Enforcement Or Penalties
  • The Director has the power to suspend or revoke a temporary help agency's licence if they fail to meet requirements, contravene the Act, or are deemed unsuitable.
  • Operating without a license is prohibited.
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The specific requirements for licensing, renewal, and suitability for temporary help agencies are to be 'prescribed', meaning they will be detailed in regulations and are not fully specified in the bill text.
  • The method for calculating the 80 per cent wage and the 25 per cent assignment employee hours will be determined by regulations.
  • The definition of 'temporary increase in business volume' for exemption purposes will be defined in regulations.
  • The bill does not specify the exact amount of prescribed fees for licenses.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Employment Standards Act, 2000
amends

Introduces a new Part XVIII.1 to establish a licensing regime for temporary help agencies, including requirements for licenses, applications, renewals, suspensions, and revocations. It also adds sections related to wage payments by agencies, reporting requirements, and limitations on the use of assignment employees by client employers.

Source: Section 2, 3, 4

Employment Standards Act, 2000
amends

Adds a definition for 'licence' within the context of Part XVIII.1.

Source: Section 1

Regulations under the Employment Standards Act, 2000
empowers creation of

Grants the Lieutenant Governor in Council the authority to make regulations governing the issuance, renewal, suspension, and revocation of licenses; the calculation of wages paid by temporary help agencies; the calculation of hours worked by assignment employees; and the definition of 'temporary increase in business volume'.

Source: Section 4

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.

Official text

Process Snapshot

Step 1
First reading
Nov 18, 2015
Step 2
Second reading
Dec 3, 2015
Step 3
Committee review
Dec 3, 2015
Step 4
Third reading
Not reached yet
Step 5
Royal assent
Not reached yet

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Harinder Malhi
Sponsor party or district not listed
Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

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