Employment Standards Act
- The Employment Standards Act (ESA) is a law that sets standards for fair and safe workplace practices in Ontario. The ESA includes the following rules that employers must follow:
· Hours Worked
· Minimum wage and Overtime Hours
· Public Holidays
· Vacation
· Pregnancy and Parental leave
· Personal Leave or Family Medical Leave
· Termination Pay, Severance Pay
Settlement.org has developed the document Your Rights At Work, available in various languages.
- If you feel that your employer has treated you unfairly or has not paid you for hours that you worked, you can file a claim to the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Read more about when to file a claim.
- As a worker in Ontario, you also have health and safety rights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Under this Act, you have the right to refuse work that you feel is unsafe. Your boss cannot fire or suspend you for saying no to work that is unsafe.
- You also have the right to be free from discrimination. This means, employers cannot treat you differently based on your age, race, ethnic origin, religion, sex, disability or sexual orientation. These are known as protected grounds. The Ontario Human Rights Code has a full list of protected grounds.
- Read more about workplace discrimination and what you can do if you are being discriminated against at work, on settlement.org