Ontario Helping Jobseekers and Cracking Down on Exploitative Employers

Changes would discourage employers from “ghosting” jobseekers and increase fines for employment standards violations to the highest level in Canada

Our government is continuing to protect the rights of employees by introducing even more ground-breaking changes.

Our proposed changes, if passed, would respond to the evolution of work and workplaces by modernizing employment standards protections to make hiring and employment practices fairer and more transparent for employees.

Looking for a job is stressful and employers shouldn’t be giving people false hope. That’s why we need to increase fairness for jobseekers by requiring employers to disclose if a vacancy exists on a publicly advertised job posting and respond to interviewees.

We’re also getting tough on employers who exploit their employees by proposing to double the maximum fine for individuals convicted of violating the Employment Standards Act – from $50,000 to $100,000 – the highest in the country.

Further regulatory changes would also increase the penalty that an employment standards officer can issue for certain repeat violators offenders for a third or subsequent contravention of the Act, from $1,000 to $5,000.

This will make bad actors think twice before they violate the Employment Standards Act and give our officers more leverage to appropriately penalize those that do – levelling the playing field for Ontario’s majority of responsible employers.

These changes are part of a larger package that, if passed, would safeguard the health and dignity of workers and frontline heroes and make it easier for more Ontarians to start a career in the trades.

By continuing to put workers first, we are expanding on the ground-breaking actions under four previous Working for Working Acts that are already helping to build a brighter future for Ontarians, while ensuring our province remains the best place to live, work and raise a family. 

Learn more: Ontario Helping Jobseekers and Cracking Down on Exploitative Employers | Ontario Newsroom