Ontario is taking action to provide added protection to some of the province's most vulnerable employees.

Proposed legislation being introduced today would, if passed, protect foreign nationals who are live-in caregivers by:

• Prohibiting recruiters from charging any fees to these employees, either directly or indirectly.
• Prohibiting the charging of recruitment fees and fees for related services, such as resume writing
• Preventing employers from recovering recruitment and placement costs from foreign live-in caregivers
• Prohibiting employers and recruiters from taking possession of a live-in caregiver's personal documents, such as passports and work permits.
• Allowing live-in caregivers up to three and a half years to make a complaint - an increase from the current two year period under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.

The proposed legislation would also allow foreign live-in caregivers to gain more information about their rights, while providing Ministry of Labour inspectors with greater authority to conduct proactive investigations.