Tell us what you think about the information on this page and how you’re using it. Take our survey.

In Ontario, you may file a claim with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development if you believe the Employment Standards Act (ESA), Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act (EPFNA) or Protecting Child Performers Act (PCPA) is being violated.

If you’ve lost your job, please visit Employment Ontario to learn how they can help you get training, build skills or find a new job.

Filing a claim

You can file a claim online for any issues relating to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) or Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act (EPFNA).

File a claim

You can also file a claim online for issues relating to the Protecting Child Performers Act (PCPA).

File a PCPA claim

Watch the filing a claim video to understand what to expect when filing an employment standards claim.

If you have already started a claim

If you have already started or filed a claim through the claimant portal, you can:

  • sign in to continue your claim
  • check the status of your claim
  • upload documents to your claim

Creating a My Ontario account

If you have previously signed up for the claimant portal using a ONe-Key account, please select the sign-in / create account button and create a My Ontario account using the same email address that was used when you enrolled in the claimant portal. If you do not use the same email address, you will not be able to see any of your previously submitted claims. If you need assistance, please contact the Employment Standards Information Centre.

Sign-in / create account

Watch the claimant portal video for an overview of the portal features, including how to sign-up and use the portal.

Internet browser requirements

To file a claim online using e-claim or to access the claimant portal you should use:

  • Chrome
  • Firefox
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Safari

Other browsers may work, but they are not supported by the e-claim or claimant portal.

PDF claim forms

You can also file an ESA or EPFNA claim using the PDF claim form.

Submit your claim by:

  • fax to 1-888-252-4684 or
  • mail to:

    Provincial Claims Centre
    Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
    70 Foster Drive, Suite 410
    Roberta Bondar Place
    Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
    P6A 6V4

Employment Standards Act claims

Most employees working in Ontario are covered by the ESA. However, some employees are not covered by the ESA and some employees who are covered by the ESA have special rules and/or exemptions that may apply to them.

A claim may be made when you believe your employer has violated your rights under the ESA.

Examples of ESA violations include:

  • Failure to pay an employee the correct rate of pay and/or public holiday pay, vacation pay or other wages they are entitled to under the ESA.
  • Not providing an employee with time off for an entitled leave of absence under the ESA or penalizing an employee for taking such a leave.
  • Not providing an employee with wage statements or other required documents.

For more information, visit Your Guide to the Employment Standards Act or the Guide to special rules and exemptions.

The ESA is not the only law that applies to Ontario workplaces. The rules under the ESA are minimum requirements. You may have greater rights under:

  • an employment contract
  • collective agreement
  • the common law
  • other legislation

If you have questions about your entitlements, you may wish to contact a lawyer

Time limits for filing an ESA claim

There are time limits that apply to filing an ESA claim. Generally, you must file a claim within two years of the alleged ESA violation. If you file a claim within the two-year limit an employment standards officer will investigate the claim.

Similarly, if your employer owes you wages, the wages must have been owed to you in the two years before your claim was filed for the wages to be recoverable under the ESA.

Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act claims

A claim may be made when you believe your employer or a recruiter has violated your rights under the EPFNA.

The EPFNA applies to foreign nationals who work or are seeking work in Ontario through an immigration or foreign temporary employee program. For example, if you are working or looking for work in Ontario through the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program, or the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, the EPFNA would likely apply to you.

Examples of EPFNA violations include:

  • a recruiter charging you any fees
  • an employer charging you for hiring costs (with limited exceptions)
  • a recruiter or employer holding onto your property (such as a passport)
  • a recruiter or employer punishing you for asking about or exercising your EPFNA rights

Foreign nationals employed in Ontario also have rights under the ESA. For example, if you are not being paid all wages owed, you may be able to file a claim under the ESA.

Time limits for filing an EPFNA claim

Generally, you must file your EPFNA claim within three-and-a-half years of the date of the alleged EPFNA violation. Similarly, an employment standards officer can generally issue an order for money owed to you under the EPFNA in the three-and-a-half-year period before the date you filed an EPFNA claim.

Learn more about your rights under the EPFNA.

Protecting Child Performers Act claims

The Protecting Child Performers Act (PCPA) provides certain workplace protections to child performers who are under 18 years of age working in the live and recorded entertainment industries.

It includes minimum rights with respect to hours of work, breaks and payment of travel expenses.

The PCPA applies to:

  • child performers
  • their parents
  • their guardians
  • employers

Sections are enforced by the Health and Safety Program or the Employment Standards Program.

Learn more about the rights of child performers under the PCPA and read the Child Performers Guideline.

Filing a PCPA claim

You can file a PCPA claim if you believe workplace protections have not been provided to a child performer in Ontario. Filing a claim is free.

To file a claim, you must be either:

  • a child performer under 18 years of age
  • the parent or guardian of a child performer under 18 years of age

The child performer must not be covered by a collective agreement.

To file a claim:

  1. Download the claim form from the forms repository and save it to your computer.
  2. Open the form with Adobe Reader (download Adobe Reader for free).
  3. Fill in the form with all the required information.
  4. Select the “submit by email” button within the form to submit your claim.

Please only file your claim once.

After you file a claim:

Time limits to filing a PCPA claim

Generally, a PCPA claim must be filed within two years of the alleged PCPA violation.

When a claim cannot be filed

Generally, a claim cannot be filed if:

  • you have taken court action against your employer for the same issue.
    • Note: If you file a claim with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and decide to pursue your rights through the courts, you must withdraw your submitted claim within two weeks after it is filed.
  • you are represented by a union and covered by a collective agreement.

This claim form is not intended for you if:

What to expect after you file a claim

Claims are investigated in the order that they are received. The amount of time it takes for a claim to be assigned varies, depending on several factors, including the amount of incoming claims. Anyone who submits an employment standards claim receives a confirmation and is assigned a claim number. You will be contacted by the ministry once the claim has been assigned for investigation.

The claims investigation process can take several months. In most cases, a claim is assigned to an early resolution officer (ERO) for initial investigation. If the claim is not resolved by the ERO, the claim will then be assigned to an employment standards officer (ESO). The ESO completes the investigation, provides a written decision and takes enforcement action if necessary.

To prevent delays with processing your claim, please ensure all information is correct and supporting documents are filed. If you are submitting a complaint, you should sign up for the claimant portal so you can log in to see where your complaint is in the process.

If you need assistance

Employees can phone the Employment Standards Information Centre for assistance in identifying and defining issues under the ESA, EPFNA and PCPA and finding ways to resolve them. Contact the Employment Standards Information Centre at: