Ontario’s Right to Disconnect Policy reference guidebook posted

Ontario passed legislation, which received royal assent on December 2, 2021, that requires all employers with 25 employees or more to have a written “Right to Disconnect” policy. That policy needs to be in place by June 2, 2022 (law states deadline for a policy is six months after the law receives royal assent).

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) has issued a guidebook to businesses, which acts as a reference point as policies are developed. A key item to note is that the right to disconnect policy can be somewhat flexible, outlining that an employee may have different expectations after hours depending on the situation (e.g. for example, a store manager may have to respond after hours to outreach around a store emergency, but may not have to reply to emails to colleagues/clients until the work day).

RCC encourages members to read through the guidebook prior to developing their policies.