Ontario job posting rules for employers
Since January 1, 2026, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must follow new rules for publicly advertised job postings. Here is what changed and how to stay compliant.
What each public job posting must do
Show the pay
Include the expected compensation or a pay range. The range cannot be wider than $50,000. Roles paying over $200,000 a year are exempt.
Disclose AI use
Say whether artificial intelligence is used to screen, assess or select applicants.
Say whether the job exists
State whether the posting is for an existing vacancy or for building a pool of candidates.
No Canadian experience requirement
Do not require Canadian work experience in the posting or in the application form.
After the posting closes
Reply to interviewed candidates
Tell applicants you interviewed whether a hiring decision has been made, within 45 days of their last interview.
Keep records for three years
Keep copies of each public posting, its application form and the related information.
What is not covered
Smaller employers
Employers with fewer than 25 employees on the day the job is posted.
General hiring campaigns
General "we are hiring" ads that do not advertise a specific position.
Internal postings
Positions open only to current employees.
Work outside Ontario
Positions that will be performed outside Ontario.
Official source
- Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: job postings (Government of Ontario). Source
Other provinces have their own rules. British Columbia has required pay ranges in all public job postings since November 1, 2023.
A quick compliance check for every posting
Count your employees
Do you have 25 or more on the posting date?
Add the pay range
No wider than $50,000, unless the role pays over $200,000.
Add two statements
AI use in screening, and whether there is an existing vacancy.
Remove "Canadian experience"
From the ad and the application form.
Set a reminder
45 days after the last interview, and a folder to keep everything for three years.
Common questions
Do these rules apply when a recruiter posts the job for us?
Yes. The rules apply to postings for your job wherever they are published. When we run a search for you, our postings follow them.
Can the posting say "salary negotiable"?
Not instead of a pay range or expected compensation, if you are covered by the rules.
Does this apply to federally regulated employers?
No. Banks, airlines, telecoms and other federally regulated employers follow the Canada Labour Code.
Hiring, or stuck on an HR question?
Tell us what you need. We reply by email to set up a short free call, and send a written agreement before any work starts.