After AODA standards come into force, they must be reviewed at least every five (5) years. In other words, the AODA Standards Development Committee that created each standard must also review it every five (5) years, or more often. The Committee must then submit a draft of their review to the Minister in charge of the AODA. The Minister must make the review available to the public so that people can comment on it. Based on those public reactions, the committee revises the proposed standard and resubmits it to the minister. The minister must recommend to the Lieutenant Governor that the standard be accepted in whole, in part, or with modifications. The first review of the Employment Standards became public in 2019.
The First Review of the Employment Standards
In this review, the Committee outlines improvements to make employment accessible for workers and job-seekers with disabilities by 2025. Recommendations impact all forms of employment, including:
- Full-time
- Part-time
- Apprenticeship
- Seasonal work
The Committee recommends changes to the standards to identify, remove, and prevent the barriers that job-seekers with disabilities face when they search for work. In addition, workers with disabilities may experience barriers during any stage of their employment, such as:
- The recruitment and hiring processes
- Workplace accommodation
- Performance management, career advancement, or redeployment
- Returning to work after gaining a disability and requiring accommodations
However, in some instances, the Committee does not recommend changes to the Employment Standards. Nonetheless, the Committee identifies barriers that employment-seekers and workers with disabilities face, and recommends strategies to remove these barriers. If the government and other organizations work together to implement these strategies, and the Standards change in compliance with the Committee’s recommendations, the province will be closer to its goal of full accessibility by 2025.
Our next series of articles will explore these recommendations in the first review of the Employment Standards.