TORONTO, May 14, 2026 – Ontario’s Bill 105, the Protect Ontario Workers and Economic Stability Act, is currently under review at Queen’s Park. The bill includes proposed changes affecting employment standards, workplace compensation, construction labour rules, and talent agency regulation. Among the changes that would most directly affect employees in restaurants, retail, warehouses, and service jobs is a proposed ban on employers requiring workers to pay for uniforms, required work items, or the repair and cleaning of those items. For Chinese newcomer workers, part-time students, and low-wage service employees, not understanding the bill’s progress could make it harder to know what records to keep or where to ask for help when disputes arise over uniform charges, wage deductions, or exit-related fees.
According to the bill text released by the Ontario legislature, the proposed amendments to the Employment Standards Act would add new rules prohibiting employers from directly or indirectly requiring employees to pay for uniforms or other required work items. Employers would also not be allowed to require employees to pay for uniform repair or cleaning. Proposed exceptions include situations where an employee loses the uniform, causes damage beyond normal wear and tear, or fails to return items that were supposed to be returned at the end of employment. If an employer improperly collects those costs, the amount may be treated as unpaid wages.
This proposed change is especially relevant to three groups: Chinese employees working in restaurants, bubble tea shops, supermarkets, and retail stores; newcomers and international students just entering Ontario’s labour market; and small business owners who employ part-time staff. In real life, some workers may be asked at the start of a job to buy shirts, aprons, hats, or slip-resistant shoes with the employer’s branding, or may be charged cleaning fees, deposits, or deductions when they leave. Employees may be afraid to ask questions because they do not want to affect their shifts or job security. Small business employers may also continue charging these costs simply because they do not yet understand the proposed new rules.
The bill also includes changes related to employment standards enforcement. Provincial materials indicate that when money is recovered through enforcement and the full amount owed cannot be collected, payments to employees would be prioritized before certain government-related amounts are handled. That means that once a wage, deduction, or unpaid wage dispute enters the enforcement process, worker claims could be treated with greater priority.
At the same time, the bill is still under review and should not be understood as meaning all of these rules are already in effect. The timing of implementation, whether any small-business exceptions may apply, and which items will count as required work items still depend on the final version of the bill and any later regulations or guidance. If a worker is covered by a collective agreement, transition rules may also differ.
A realistic example would be a Chinese international student newly arrived in Toronto and working part-time at a bubble tea shop, where the employer asks the student to pay for a branded uniform and cleaning fees, then later withholds a deposit at the end of employment. If the worker raises the issue only verbally, it may later be difficult to prove what the charges were for. But if the worker keeps receipts, pay stubs, schedules, text messages, and records of communication from the beginning of employment through the time of leaving, any later complaint or inquiry through employment standards channels will be much clearer.
For Chinese workers and small business owners, the key point in this bill is not that “no one ever has to pay any work-related cost right away,” but that Ontario is moving toward tighter rules on uniform charges, wage recovery, and workplace rights. Employees facing deduction disputes should first confirm what the charge is for and keep evidence. Employers should review hiring documents, uniform policies, and end-of-employment deduction practices so they are not still following older methods if the new rules are passed and take effect. Residents who are not comfortable with English-language procedures may want to consult community legal clinics, worker-rights organizations, or qualified professionals about existing complaint options. (LJI by Yuanyuan)
