New poster requirements for Ontario employers

The rules regarding the poster are:

• most workplaces covered by the act are required to post the poster;
• the earlier version should be removed from the workplace and replaced with version 6.0;
• employers must provide all current employees covered by the act with a copy of version 6.0 of the Employment Standards Poster by June 19, 2015. Any new employees hired after May 20, 2015 must be given a copy within 30 days of their date of hire;
• if an employee requests a copy of the poster in a language other than English and the ministry has published a version of the poster in that language, the employer must provide the translated version in addition to the English copy; and
• an employer may provide the poster as a printed copy or as an attachment in an email to the employee. In addition, an employer may provide the poster via a link to the document on an internet database, but only if the employer ensures the employee has reasonable access to that database and ensures the employee has access to a printer and that the employee knows how to use the computer and the printer.

Read: Ontario to launch consultations on labour laws

An employer who is required to post the poster and who fails to post version 6.0 on or after May 1, 2015 would be in violation of the act, which could result in an employment standards officer taking enforcement action.

The poster is available for free on Service Ontario’s website.

Also read:

• Ontario increasing minimum wage
• Ontario proposes major changes to workplace legislation