Starting in Ontario: should the employer give me written job information?

A new written-information duty starting July 2025

From July 1, 2025, an employer with at least 25 employees in Ontario on a new employee’s first day must provide specified job information in writing before that day, or as soon afterwards as reasonably possible if earlier provision is impracticable. The guide counts employees across the employer’s Ontario locations, rather than just your store. Check ESA coverage; assignment employees have separate agency-information rules. This duty is separate from the employment contract and from supplying the employment-standards poster.

What the written information should cover

The list covers the employer’s legal and different operating names; employer address, telephone and contact name; a general description of the initial work location; starting wage rate or commission; pay period and payday; and a general description of anticipated initial hours. A precise workplace address and daily or weekly hours are not required for those general descriptions. Compare the documents actually supplied with these items; an oral explanation does not replace information required in writing.

Keep your starter documents together

Save the offer letter, any accepted amendments, the starter email, and any information statement you receive. Note the legal employer, contact person, workplace, wage arrangement, payday, and hours described, and write down what remains unclear. Record your actual first day of work. A verbal orientation may answer practical questions, but keeping a dated written record helps you distinguish agreed terms from later recollection. If you later need to show what was provided and when, these documents will be your evidence.

Ask for the missing information

Use the employer’s verified HR or payroll contact and identify the specific items you need explained. Ask whether a policy or a separate statement forms part of the supplied information. Keep the response and note the document version. Do not assume that every missing detail gives you a right to refuse work, and do not assume that a generic handbook explains your individual rate and location. The duty is to provide the specified information in writing, not to answer every possible question.

If the issue remains unresolved

If you believe the employer has not met the written-information duty, bring your documents, your first-day date, and reliable information about the employer’s size to an Ontario employment-standards adviser. Ask which specific requirement applies, rather than assuming a small employer’s process is identical. Contract and common-law issues may need separate advice. This guide does not create a prescribed contract template, and it does not determine coverage based on the company’s brand name. The adviser can tell you whether your situation falls under the ESA and what steps you can take.

A practical example

Hypothetical illustration: a welcome email gives the store location and hourly rate but omits the legal employer name and payday. A manager mentions the payday orally. Record what you received and when, then ask: “Please confirm the legal employer name, pay period and payday in writing, and where the remaining required starter information is provided.” Check the Ontario employee count and first-day date before assessing the duty. The oral statement helps you ask a precise question; it does not itself supply the missing written item.

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