On Tuesday, October 5, 2010, the Ontario government introduced Bill 110, the Good Government Act, 2010, omnibus legislation that would, if passed, make a number of amendments to various Acts, including several employment-related statutes.

It appears that most of the amendments are technical nature. In part, the Bill would, if passed,

• clarify that in the section 22(1) overtime provision of the Employment Standards Act, 2000, the overtime rate is to be calculated based on excess hours in each “work week” as opposed to each “week” (which is likely consistent with current employer practices for overtime calculation);
• change the name of documents now called “material safety data sheets” for the purposes of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (which are required in workplaces where hazardous substances are present) to “safety data sheets”; and
• amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 to: (a) address when payments for loss of retirement income and compensation for non-economic loss are paid as lump sums or as periodic payments; (b) provide employees with notice and an opportunity to object before the Board gives a worker’s employer a copy of a physician’s report about the worker’s permanent impairment under section 47; and (c) expand the category of persons who are entitled to access to documents when there is an issue in dispute and the worker is deceased.