Legislation introduced in Ontario on Tuesday aims to give temporary workers more rights. The government of Ontario announced the proposed rules Tuesday as part of its anti-poverty initiative.

The proposed rules would prevent temporary agencies from charging a conversion fee to clients hiring workers on a permanent basis after six months. The rules would also forbid staffing firms from charging fees to workers for finding jobs, helping to write a resume or assistance in preparing for a job interview.

Other aspects of the proposal include:
*Giving temporary workers the same rights to notice of termination and severance pay as other workers.
*Requiring employment agencies to provide contact information to temporary workers as soon as possible after they enter into an employment relationship.
*Requiring agencies to provide an information sheet to employees on their rights.
*Requiring agencies to provide workers, in writing, of a client company's name and contact information as well as information on wages, benefits, hours and general description of the work at the client site.
*Prohibiting staffing buyers from retaliation against temporary employees for asserting their rights under the law.
*Establishing a procedure in the event a temporary agency owes a worker. Should a temporary agency owe money to a worker and a staffing buyer owe the agency money, the legislation would allow for the government's director of employment standards to demand the staffing buyer to pay those monies to the director for hold in trust for payment to the worker.

"We want to ensure that Ontario's employment legislation reflects the realities of today's workplace and labor market in a balanced way, and that employees working through temporary help agencies are properly protected under the law," said Labor Minister Peter Fonseca.

The Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing Services (ACSESS) said it supports the Ontario government's effort to cut poverty, although it continues to work on certain issues with the bill.

ACSESS is "very supportive of the new anti-poverty initiative announced today by the Ontario government," President Steve Jones said in a statement. "We favor this multi-faceted approach that includes improvements in daycare, housing and recognizes the need to support protection for temporary employees."

The Ontario government also said regulation has already been passed that gives temporary workers the same rights to public holidays as other workers, according to the government of Ontario. It goes into affect Jan. 2.

More than 700,000 people in Ontario work in temporary jobs, according to the province's government. There are about 1,000 temporary employment agencies.