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Overview

In certain circumstances, employers and recruiters are required to give employees one or more mandatory Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) poster and information sheets.

What employers and/or recruiters must provide

In general, employers must provide all employees covered under the ESA with a copy of the most recent version of the poster within 30 days of the person becoming an employee.

Employers must also provide employees with one or more information sheets:

Under the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act (EPFNA), recruiters must provide foreign nationals with information sheets where the recruiter contacts - or is contacted by - the foreign national in connection with employment.

Formats allowed

Employers and recruiters may provide the poster or information sheets as:

  • a printed copy,
  • an attachment in an email to the employee, if the employee has access to a printer,
  • a link to the document on an internet database, if the employee
    • has reasonable access to a computer (or other device such as a tablet or smart phone) that can access the link and to a printer;
    • knows how to use the computer and printer.

If the employee needs a poster or information sheet in a language other than English, the employer or recruiter must give it to the employee in their preferred language, if it’s available. The translated poster or information sheet must be given in addition to the English version.

Employment standards poster

MLITSD has prepared and published a poster called Employment Standards in Ontario (also known as the employment standards poster) to help employees and employers understand their rights and obligations under the Employment Standards Act (ESA).

Employers are only required to provide each employee with the poster once. There is no requirement to provide employees with the poster every time a new version is published.

Get a free ESA poster

You can get a copy of the employment standards poster by:

Hours of work and overtime pay

An employer and an employee can agree (electronically or in writing) that the employee will work more than the daily or weekly limits on hours of work. For information on daily and weekly limits on hours of work, see the hours of work chapter of this guide.

These agreements are only valid if the employer gives the employee a copy of the most recent version of the Information for Employees About Hours of Work and Overtime Pay information sheet before the agreement is made. Additionally, the agreement must include a statement where the employee acknowledges they received the most recent version of the information sheet.

Download the information sheet:

Temporary help agency assignment employees

After a new employee is hired, temporary help agencies must give their employees the most recent version of the Employment Standards Rights for Temporary Help Agency Assignment Employees information sheet. It explains the rights of assignment employees of temporary help agencies under the ESA.

Download the information sheet:

Foreign nationals

As soon as a recruiter contacts or is contacted by a foreign national about employment, the recruiter must give the foreign national copies of the most recent:

If an employer of a foreign national did not use a recruiter in connection with the employment, the employer must provide these documents to the foreign national.

About the Employment Standards Act

If a recruiter contacts or is contacted by a foreign national about employment, the recruiter must give the foreign national a copy of the most recent version of the Your Rights as a Foreign National Under the ESA information sheet that gives a summary of rights for foreign nationals under the ESA.

Download the ESA information sheet:

About the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act

If a recruiter contacts or is contacted by a foreign national about employment, the recruiter must give the foreign national a copy of the most recent version of the Your Rights Under the EPFNA information sheet that gives a summary of rights for foreign nationals under the EPFNA.

Download the EPFNA information sheet: