Employment Standards Compliance
In Ontario, the vast majority of employers are required to ensure that their workplace operates in accordance with the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the "ESA"). Certain employers, such as Telecom companies, the Banks and Airlines, are subject to federal law and must instead comply with the Canada Labour Code (the "CLC"). While the ESA and CLC differ, they generally set out a series of basic obligations with respect to record keeping, payment of wages, hours of work, overtime pay, public holidays, vacations, leaves from work, and termination payments.
As such, if your business operates in Ontario, it is important to ensure that it is compliant with the employment standards legislation that governs your workplace. Failure to comply with legislated minimum standards can result in unintended liability and cost.
If your organization has questions about its obligations to staff, be sure to speak with an experienced employment lawyer. We frequently assist clients with human resource issues in the workplace, such as: Do I have to give workers paid time off for lunch? What happens if a manager stays late — do I owe her overtime pay? When is on-call pay required? In dismissing an employee, what payment obligations do we have? Do all staff get paid for public holidays? What do I have to do when my cashier tells me she is pregnant?
Questions like those above arise in every workplace. Your business needs to have the answers at hand as the Employment Standards Act (among other laws) demands compliance with basic minimum standards.
Our Employment Standards lawyers regularly work with businesses of all sizes to help ensure compliance with Ontario's worker protection laws. Whether it is through a spot audit, representation in a Ministry of Labour complaint, or simply being available for day-to-day strategic advice, we can help navigate your legal rights and responsibilities as an employer.