This is not a change of legislation, but is a mandated requirement for employers pursuant to existing legislation. The Ontario Ministry of Labour recently released version 6.0 of the Employment Standards Poster, which outlines employees’ minimum rights and employers’ minimum obligations. With the release of this new poster, almost every employer in Ontario is required by law to immediately post a hardcopy of version 6.0 in English in a conspicuous place in the workplace such as a communal kitchen.
Due to legislative changes coming into force on May 20, 2015, Ontario employers are required to provide a hardcopy or electronic copy of the poster to all current employees by June 19, 2015. Ontario employers also need to ensure new employees hired after May 20, 2015, receive a copy of the poster within the first 30 days of hire. One strategy to ensure compliance with this last requirement would be to include the poster as part of any hiring package.
A copy of version 6.0 of the Employment Standards Poster is available, free of charge, on the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s website at http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/tools/esworkbook/esaposter.php.