The Employment Standards Act (ESA) is a law in Ontario that protects workers’ rights. This law tells employers how to treat workers fairly.

ESA protects most workers in Ontario. It does not apply to workers in federally-regulated industries, such as banks and transportation.

The ESA has rules that employers have to follow. They tell employers what they can and can’t make you do. These include the rules about:

• The hours you work
• What the minimum wage is and how and when you get pay for overtime work
• Public holidays
• How much vacation time workers get and when you get vacation pay
• Pregnancy and parental leave
• Personal emergency leave (including sick days)
• Family medical leave, family caregiver leave, critically ill child care leave and crime-related child death or disappearance leave
• Termination pay
• Severance pay
• Filing a claim

The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development has information about your rights and responsibilities. You can file a claim with the Ministry if you think your employer did not respect your rights.

As a worker in Ontario, you also have health and safety rights and the right to be free from discrimination.

For More Information

• Employment Standards – Frequently asked questions (FAQs) on a variety of related issues. Also includes a glossary of phrases and words and information in different languages. From the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.
• Your Employment Standards Rights: Foreign National Live-in Caregivers – This fact sheet has information about your rights as a Live-in Caregiver in Ontario. It is available in different languages. Produced by the Ministry of Labour.