The federal government tabled Bill C-69, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024, to implement the following measures, among others:
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Establishing a right to disconnect under Canada Labour Code: proposed amendments to the Canada Labour Code (CLC) will require employers in federally regulated sectors to establish a right to disconnect policy limiting work-related communication outside of scheduled working hours. The employer must provide each employee to whom the policy applies with a copy in either paper or electronic form within 30 days of the policy becoming applicable.
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Protecting gig workers in federally regulated industries: amend the Canada Labour Code to clarify that a person to whom an employer pays remuneration is presumed to be an employee and must be treated as an employee unless the employer can demonstrate that the individual is an independent contractor.
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Clarifying certain employee rights and employer obligations relating to terminations of employment. It also includes transitional provisions. Division 22 of Part 4 of Bill C-69 states that the employer's responsibility to give and the employee's right to receive notice or wages in lieu of notice apply whether or not the employee has a right to avail themselves of any procedure for redress, including for the termination of their employment.