ESA Poster Now a Requirement in Ontario

As of May 20, 2015 all employees in Ontario must be given a copy of the Employment Standards Act Poster – “What You Should Know about the Employment Standards Act”.

Newly hired employees must be given a copy of the poster within 30 days of their start date. An available translation of the poster from the Ministry of Labour must be provided to employees on request. Here’s what’s in the latest poster:

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Carol Irwin

Carol works with our clients to develop and improve HR policies, procedures, employee programs, and solve difficult people management issues.

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6 thoughts on “ESA Poster Now a Requirement in Ontario

  1. Do you know if, after giving employees a copy of the new ESA poster, there needs to be a sign off that they received it?

    1. Hello Mary,
      There is no specific requirement for an employer to obtain a sign off, however, if the Ministry of Labour was to audit your company they would be looking for some evidence that you did comply. There are lots of different ways to demonstrate compliance, depending on your size and situation – workers in one location or in multiple locations. You may wish to send the poster out by email, add it as an agenda item to a regular staff meeting, or include it with paycheques or the company newsletter. The poster should become part of your orientation package. FYI – a new version of the poster, version 6.0, comes out on May 1, 2015. I hope this helps. Have a great day!

    2. Always make people sign off on what you’ve given them. Perfect paper trails have signatures for EVERYTHING

    1. Hi Brian,
      Yes, there is a specific date – May 20, 2015. As of May this year employers must give all their employees a copy of the latest version of the ESA poster. A new version of the poster, version 6.0, was released on May 1, 2015. Newly hired employees must be given a copy of the poster within 30 days of their hire date. Not all employers may be aware of this new requirement. In the past, employers were only required to post the ESA poster in their workplace. Go to the MOL website where you can download of copy of the new poster. Have a great weekend!

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