New legislation comes into force today that will ensure temporary help agency employees are treated fairly and have a better chance to move to sustainable employment.

The Employment Standards Amendment Act (Temporary Help Agencies, 2009) delivers more fairness for vulnerable temporary help agency employees by:

• Making sure that they are not unfairly prevented from accessing permanent jobs when agency clients want to hire them from agencies,
• Prohibiting temporary help agencies from charging fees to employees for things such as resume writing and interview preparation,
• Guaranteeing that employees have the information they need about their assignments including pay schedules and job descriptions, and
• Requiring agencies to provide employees with information about their new rights under the Employment Standards Act.

A new regulation also ensures that most "elect-to-work" employees have the right to notice of termination and severance pay.

The new legislation is part of Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy which is designed to build a stronger economy by creating more opportunity for all low-income families and children.  The strategy sets a goal of reducing child poverty by 25 per cent in 5 years, thereby lifting about 90,000 children out of poverty.