Ontario Bill 148: What It Was, What Changed, and What Remains Today

Ontario Bill 148, officially called the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, was one of the most significant overhauls of Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) and Labour Relations Act (LRA) in decades.

It introduced sweeping reforms to improve fairness for workers, increase wages, and strengthen protections. But after a change in government in 2018, many of its key provisions were repealed or replaced.

This article explains:

• What Bill 148 was in Ontario
• The major changes it introduced
• Which parts were rolled back
• What rights are still in effect today

What is Bill 148 Ontario?

Passed in November 2017 by the Ontario Liberal government, Bill 148 aimed to modernize workplace laws in response to changing labour markets, the rise of precarious work, and recommendations from the Changing Workplaces Review.

Key objectives of Bill 148 included:

• Improving job security for non-standard workers (part-time, casual, and contract).
• Raising the minimum wage and reducing income inequality.
• Expanding employee rights to various types of leave.
• Making it easier for employees to join and form unions.

Major Changes Introduced by Bill 148

When Bill 148 came into force, it created a wave of changes for both employees and employers in Ontario.

1. Minimum Wage Increase

• Raised the minimum wage in Ontario to $14/hour on January 1, 2018
• Planned to increase it again to $15/hour on January 1, 2019

2. Equal Pay for Equal Work

• Required equal pay for employees doing substantially the same job, regardless of whether they were full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal

3. Personal Emergency Leave (PEL)

• All employees received 10 personal emergency leave days, the first two paid
• Could be used for illness, injury, family emergencies, or urgent matters

4. Scheduling Rights

• Employees could refuse shifts scheduled on short notice
• Employers required to pay for cancelled shifts with less than 48 hours’ notice

5. Public Holiday Pay

• Introduced a new formula making it easier for part-time employees to qualify for Ontario holiday pay

6. Leave of Absence Expansions

• Added and expanded ESA leaves, including:
  • Domestic or sexual violence leave (up to 15 weeks, first five days paid)
  • Family medical leave extended from 8 weeks to 28 weeks
  • Child death leave and crime-related child disappearance leave

7. Labour Relations Changes

• Card-based union certification extended to more industries
• Easier access to remedial union certification
• First-contract mediation and arbitration introduced

Is Bill 148 Still in Effect in Ontario?

Not entirely.

When the Progressive Conservative government came into power in 2018, they passed Bill 47, the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, which repealed or replaced many of Bill 148’s provisions.

Rollbacks Under Bill 47

• Minimum Wage: The scheduled jump to $15/hour in 2019 was cancelled (though Ontario later raised it to $15 in 2022 through separate legislation)
• Personal Emergency Leave: Replaced with three unpaid sick days, three unpaid family responsibility days, and two unpaid bereavement days. The paid days were eliminated
• Equal Pay for Equal Work: Repealed, allowing employers to differentiate pay based on employment status
• Scheduling Protections: Many scheduling rights (such as compensation for last-minute shift cancellations) were scrapped
• Public Holiday Pay: The calculation formula reverted to the previous system

What Remains from Bill 148

• Some expanded leaves of absence, such as domestic/sexual violence leave and longer family medical leave
• Enhanced penalties for ESA violations
• Certain record-keeping requirements for employers
• Increased public awareness about workplace rights, which continues to shape employment law debates today

Why Bill 148 Still Matters Today

Even though much of Bill 148 has been repealed, it:

• Raised awareness: Employees across Ontario became more aware of their rights.
• Shaped future laws: Later legislation adopted elements first introduced by Bill 148.
• Set a benchmark: Many workplace rights discussions today trace back to reforms introduced in 2017.

Media Interview About Bill 148

Various media outlets interviewed employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP about Bill 148 at various stages in its development and adoption:

• December 20, 2017 — Then-Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn called into the Employment Law Show with Lior Samfiru to talk about Bill 148.
  • Listen to Clip 1
  • Listen to Clip 2
  • Listen to Clip 3
  • Listen to Clip 4
  • Listen to Clip 5
• November 23, 2017 — Employment lawyer Jon Pinkus joined 640 Toronto to look at whether Bill 148 goes far enough to improve protections for employees. Listen Here ➡️
• November 23, 2017 — Employment lawyer Jon Pinkus spoke to 980 CFPL. Listen Here ➡️
• January 8, 2018 — An Ottawa employment lawyer went through the changes on CTV Morning Live. Watch Here ➡️

Speak to an Employment Lawyer

At Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, we’ve helped tens of thousands of employees across Ontario enforce their workplace rights.

At our firm, we have:

• ⚖️ Settled over 99% of cases quickly through negotiation or mediation
• 💰 Secured millions in compensation
• 📱 Free Termination Consultations — in many, but not all, cases
• ⭐ Earned 2,310 5-star Google reviews (4.8 average)
• 🏆 Recognized as one of Canada’s Best Law Firms (Globe and Mail)

Call us at 1-855-821-5900 or request a consultation online.