The Employment Standards Act: A Comprehensive Guide

BUSINESS LAW
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BUSINESS LAW
The selected legislation is “The Employment Standards Act” which is a provincial legislation
related to Ontario.
Part 1
The main purpose of this act is to regulate employment within the Ontario province.
The objective of this act is to set the minimum standards in relation to various associated
rights and obligations related to both employer and employee. The key issues addressed
include maximum work hours, leaves of absence, vacation, overtime and wages. It also
covers issues related to termination of employment along with severance along with ensuring
equal way for equal amount of work done. It is imperative to note that this act is different
from the Ontario Labour Relations Act as its provisions are only applicable to unionized
labour within Ontario. However, the scope of the employment standards act covers those
employees who are not unionized and ensure that harmonious relationship exists between
employer and employees (Ontario Government, n.d.).
Part 2
The Employment Standards Act was first implemented in Ontario in 1968. At the
time, it was essentially a consolidation of the existing acts related to employment standards
existing at the time. Key provisions of this act included clauses related to minimum wage,
maximum work hours, vacation with pay. Before the enactment of this act in 1968, there
were separate acts in Ontario covering each of above aspects. From 1970 to 1999, various
amendments were introduced related to various subjects such as overtime, pregnancy leaves,
termination related provisions, severance pay, lie detection and unpaid wages. In 2000, a
thorough review of the existing act was carried as provincial consultations between
significant stakeholders were held. Some new provisions related to rest periods, reprisals,
hours of work, enforcement were also added. This new law became the Employment
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