The Latest Changes To The Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000

Several 2024 amendments to the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) will be implemented in summer 2025, and more new requirements will take effect starting in 2026. Below is a detailed overview of these changes, organized by their effective dates. Employers in Ontario may want to note these deadlines and update their processes and policies accordingly.

Quick Hits

• Starting June 19, 2025, employees in Ontario with at least thirteen consecutive weeks of employment will be entitled to an unpaid leave of absence for up to twenty-seven weeks in a fifty-two-week period for serious medical conditions certified by a qualified health practitioner.
• Effective July 1, 2025, Ontario employers would be required under the amended law to provide new employees with specific employment information in writing before their first day of work, including the employer's legal name, the employer's contact information, the employee's work location, the employee's starting wage