BILL NO. 384

78A No employer shall, without good cause,

(a) prevent an employee from acting as a volunteer firefighter;

(b) dismiss, suspend, lay off, demote or discipline an employee for acting as a volunteer firefighter; or

(c) take into account the fact that an employee is a volunteer firefighter in a decision to promote or train the employee,

if the employee has advised the employer of the employee's obligations as a volunteer firefighter and when, in order to act in that capacity, the employee must be absent from the workplace, either by leaving work suddenly or by failing to appear at work.

78B No employer shall, without good cause, refuse to employ a person because that person is a volunteer firefighter.

78C Subject to Section 78E, in the event of a serious incident or natural disaster that requires employees who are volunteer firefighters to be absent from their workplace for multiple, consecutive days, the Minister may provide direct financial relief to small businesses for any actual financial losses incurred as a direct result of the absence.

78D (1) The Minister shall establish a committee to investigate any gaps and discrepancies in the insured benefits provided to volunteer and career firefighters across the Province.

(2) The committee shall include representatives from firefighter unions and other industry organizations and firefighters and employers of firefighters from each municipality.

(3) The committee shall make recommendations to the Minister respecting the insured benefits provided to volunteer and career firefighters.

(4) The Minister shall publicly report on the committee's recommendations and the progress the Government has made in implementing the recommendations, and, subject to Section 78E, provide funding for such implementation.

78E The money required for the purpose of Section 78C and subsection 78D(4) must be paid of out money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.