Ontario Providing Free Naloxone Kits in Workplaces

The Ontario government is launching a first-of-its-kind program to make free naloxone kits (and free training) available at workplaces where there is a risk of staff witnessing or experiencing an opioid overdose.

For up to two years, Ontario will provide free nasal spray naloxone kits to businesses at risk of opioid overdoses through the Workplace Naloxone Program and free training needed to equip staff with the tools to respond to an opioid overdose.

Businesses can determine if they are eligible for the program and find additional information on accessing naloxone kits and training at Ontario.ca/workplacenaloxone. Once the requirement is in effect, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s inspectors will take an education-first approach to enforcement.

Employers must provide a naloxone kit when an employer becomes aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, of the following scenarios:

• There is a risk of a worker opioid overdose.

• There is a risk that the worker overdoses while in a workplace where they perform work for the employer.

• The risk is posed by a worker who performs work for the employer.

If any one of these scenarios are not present, an employer does not need to comply with the OHSA requirements to provide naloxone in the workplace.

The OHSA requirements do not apply to workplaces where the risk of an opioid overdose is created by a non-worker, such as a customer.

If there is no risk of a worker opioid overdose, an employer would not have to comply with the OHSA requirements.

More international youth to work and travel in Canada

On Dec 1st the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, launched the 2023 International Experience Canada (IEC) Program with a 20% increase in the number of applicants who can apply. Applicants will be able to apply as of January 9, 2023.

IEC is a reciprocal program that allows Canadian and international youth to work and travel in each other’s countries. This increase means that nearly 90,000 candidates will be able to work and travel in Canada, including Francophone youth, which will help employers fill labour gaps, including for seasonal work opportunities in Canada’s tourism industry.

For more information, click here.

ORHMA continues to advocate for favourable regulations on behalf of the hospitality indsutry. For ORHMA's advocacy activitites in relation to immigration policies, click here.

Portable Benefits - Ontario

The Portable Benefits Advisory Panel was established in March 2022 to advise the Ontario government on the viability, design and implementation of a program that could provide portable benefits to millions of workers who change jobs often and may not have access to employer-provided benefits. The Panel will issue a report with their recommendations next year.

ORHMA has been involved and is encouraging our members to participate during this process and would value your perspective. You can send a written submission directly to the Panel. We are asking that you please copy ORHMA at info@orhma.com.

You should consider developing recommendations for a portable benefits program, with particular attention to the following questions:

1. What role(s) do you see for your industry in a portable benefits program for non-standard workers?

2. What trends are you seeing regarding the provision of benefits in your industry?

3. What might be the benefits to employers that arise from their workers having access to a benefits plan?

4. What should we consider regarding your industry’s ability to make financial contributions to a portable benefits program?

5. What are some of the labour shortage issues your industry is facing? What about attraction and retention/turnover?

You can review the public consultation and complete the survey, which are open until December 16, 2022. . We also encourage you to provide a written submission to the Panel, which you can send to portablebenefitspanel@ontario.ca.  Please copy ORHMA at info@orhma.com.