Bill 30: Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025

This bill affects a wide range of Ontario businesses. Employers with 50 or more staff who issue mass termination notices must now allow affected employees three unpaid days off to job search. Any business that operates an online job board or recruitment platform — think Indeed-style sites or staffing agency portals — must implement a fraud-reporting mechanism and maintain a written policy on fake job postings. Employers across all industries face tougher consequences for workplace safety violations and WSIB non-compliance, including new administrative penalties for late premium payments, failing to report, or making false statements to the WSIB (fines up to $750,000 per conviction for repeat offenders). Construction companies and project owners will need to pay attention to new rules around accredited health and safety management systems on job sites. Smaller employers who are required to have defibrillators at their workplace may be eligible for reimbursement from the WSIB. Businesses involved in building or operating provincially funded trades training facilities benefit from streamlined municipal and planning approvals. The extended lay-off provisions are particularly relevant to manufacturers, seasonal operations, and other businesses that periodically lay off non-unionized workers — they can now agree with employees to extend lay-offs up to 52 weeks (in a 78-week window) with Director approval, avoiding triggering termination pay obligations.