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Ontario job posting rules 2026: a checklist

Posting a job in Ontario? Work through this checklist. It follows the Employment Standards Act rules that started on January 1, 2026.

Not legal advice. This is general information. Date checked: October 23, 2026. Rules can change, so read the sources at the bottom.

Step 1: Do the rules cover you?

  • They do not apply if you have fewer than 25 employees on the day you post.
  • Count people, not full-time equivalents. Part-time and casual staff each count as 1.
  • Count all your Ontario locations and related employers.
  • They do not apply to the Crown, Crown agencies, or boards and commissions whose members are all appointed by the Crown.
  • They generally apply to postings posted on or after January 1, 2026.

Step 2: Is it a publicly advertised job posting?

The rules are about postings advertised to the public. These are not covered:

  • A general “we are hiring” message with no specific position.
  • A posting only open to your existing employees.
  • A posting for work done outside Ontario.

Links count. If your posting links to a page or document with relevant information, that information is part of the posting. If a recruiter or job board posts for you, you are still the responsible employer.

Step 3: Put three things in the posting

  • Pay. Give the expected pay or a range. A range can be no wider than $50,000 a year. The Ontario guide says $85,000 to $135,000 is fine and $85,000 to $140,000 is not. If the pay package has more than one type, such as an hourly rate plus commission, cover each type. Tips, discretionary bonuses and stock options are not counted as pay for this rule.
  • AI. If you use artificial intelligence to screen, assess or select applicants, say so.
  • Vacancy. State whether the posting is for an existing vacancy or not.

Pay information is not required if the expected pay is more than $200,000 a year, or if the range ends above $200,000.

Step 4: Leave Canadian experience out

Do not put any Canadian experience requirement in the posting or in the application form. The Ontario guide lists work experience, education credentials, and an established professional network or client base. Professional licensing or registration requirements are not covered by this ban.

Step 5: Reply after interviews

  • If you interview someone, tell them whether a hiring decision has been made for the posting.
  • Do it within 45 days after the interview.
  • If you hold several interviews less than 45 days apart, one notice is enough. If they are more than 45 days apart, notify within 45 days after each one.
  • A phone call, email, text message or a link to a status page all work.
  • A preliminary screening is not an interview.

Step 6: Keep records for 3 years

  • A copy of the posting and any application form, for 3 years after the public can no longer see it.
  • Each version, if you changed the posting while it was live.
  • Copies of anything the posting linked to.
  • The information you gave to interviewed applicants, for 3 years after you gave it.

What we could not confirm

Not confirmed: Is a word like “competitive” enough for the pay rule? The sources do not say. They ask for information about expected pay or a range. We read one word as not enough, but that is our reading, not a rule.

Watch this: The Act says section 8.2, the pay information rule, will be repealed on a date set by proclamation. On the e-Laws page we read, that repeal was not in force.

For more detail, see our short Ontario guide. If you hire in British Columbia too, read the BC pay transparency guide.

Sources

Date checked: October 23, 2026. Not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change, so check the official pages before you act.

Want this in a ready-to-use tool? The kit puts these rules into a checklist and a spreadsheet checker you can reuse for each posting. See the Canadian Job Posting Compliance Kit (CA$39) or buy it now.

We sell this product. This guide is free and stands on its own.

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