ristrettlabs

All writing

Ontario job postings in 2026: five checks before you publish

November 14, 2026, by Crispin Mwanyumba

Since 1 January 2026, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees have new rules for public job postings. Here's a checklist your recruiters can use.

Who the rules apply to

The rules are part of Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, added by the Working for Workers Acts. They apply to employers with 25 or more employees on the day a job is posted, and only to publicly advertised postings. Internal-only postings aren’t covered.

People often call this the “Ontario Pay Transparency Act”. That Act, from 2018, isn’t in force. The rules in force are in the Employment Standards Act.

Five checks for every public posting

  1. Pay is shown. The posting includes the expected pay or a pay range. A range can be no wider than $50,000, so $80,000 to $130,000 is fine and $80,000 to $150,000 isn’t. Jobs paying more than $200,000 a year are exempt.
  2. AI use is disclosed. If artificial intelligence is used to screen, assess or select applicants, the posting says so.
  3. Vacancy status is stated. The posting says whether it’s for an existing vacancy.
  4. No “Canadian experience” requirement. Postings can’t require Canadian work experience.
  5. Someone owns the follow-up. Candidates you interview must hear whether a decision has been made within 45 days of their last interview.

What this means in Workday Recruiting

  • Pay ranges: make sure requisitions for Ontario jobs carry a compensation range that meets the $50,000 rule, and that the range appears in the external posting.
  • Standard wording: add the AI-use and vacancy statements to your Ontario posting templates, so recruiters don’t type them each time.
  • Old templates: search your job description templates for “Canadian experience” and remove it.
  • The 45-day clock: this is the easiest one to miss. Workday records when interviews happen, but nobody is reminded when a candidate’s 45 days are nearly up unless you set that up.

We’re designing an app that lists Ontario postings missing any of these, and gives recruiters a to-do list of interview notices coming due. If you hire in Ontario, tell us how you check postings today.

Sources

This is a general summary, not legal advice. Check the official sources linked above, or talk to an employment lawyer, before acting on it.