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Ontario 2026 job posting rules: a short guide

The main rules for public job postings in Ontario, in plain words.

Not legal advice. This is general information. Date checked: October 22, 2026. Rules can change, so check the sources below.

1. Who the rules apply to

The rules do not apply to an employer with fewer than 25 employees on the day the job posting is posted. Count your employees on the day you post.

  • Part-time and casual employees each count as 1 employee, no matter how many hours they work.
  • Example from the Ontario guide: 20 part-time employees and 5 full-time employees is 25 employees.
  • The rules do not apply to the Crown, Crown agencies, or boards and commissions whose members are all appointed by the Crown, and their employees.
  • Employees of a temporary help agency are counted for the agency. They are not counted for the client.

Unclear: Do staff outside Ontario count? The regulation does not say. The Ontario guide only talks about employees in Ontario when it covers related employers and multiple locations. So our best reading is 25 or more employees in Ontario (per the Ontario guide). We cannot state this as a flat rule.

2. Linked pages are part of the posting

If a posting links to a website or a document with information relevant to the posting, that information counts as part of the posting. The employer must keep a copy of any linked sources.

3. Pay in the posting

  • If the posting gives a pay range, the range cannot be wider than $50,000 a year.
  • Example from the Ontario guide: $85,000 to $135,000 is allowed. $85,000 to $140,000 is not.
  • Pay information is not required if the expected pay is more than $200,000 a year, or if the range ends above $200,000. The exception looks at the top of the range. A range of $60,000 to $130,000 is not exempt, and it is too wide.
  • If the pay package has more than one type of pay, the posting must include information about each type.
  • The Ontario guide says the law does not stop an employer from having a pay range wider than $50,000 inside the company. The limit is on what goes in the posting.

Unclear: Is “competitive” or “depending on experience” on its own enough? The sources do not say. The law asks for information about the expected pay or a range. In our reading, those words alone are not pay information. That is our view, not a rule.

4. A statement if you use AI

If you use artificial intelligence to screen, assess or select applicants, the posting must include a statement that says so. A simple statement is enough. If you do not use AI for this, no statement is needed.

5. A statement about the vacancy

The posting must say whether it is for an existing vacancy or not. The Ontario guide says an existing vacancy is a position that is imminently available for a qualified candidate to fill.

6. No Canadian experience requirements

A posting, or any associated application form, cannot include a requirement for Canadian experience. The Ontario guide says this covers work experience, education credentials, and a requirement to have an established professional network or client base.

It does not apply to professional licensing or registration requirements.

7. Reply after an interview

  • If you interview an applicant, you must give them the required information within 45 days after the interview. If you interview them more than once, the 45 days start from the last interview.
  • One item you must tell them is whether a hiring decision has been made for the posting.
  • If interviews are more than 45 days apart, the employer must inform the applicant within 45 days after each interview.
  • Preliminary screening before the selection of applicants for a meeting is not an interview.

8. What is not a publicly advertised job posting

The regulation lists these as not covered:

  • a general recruitment campaign
  • a general “help wanted” sign
  • an internal-only posting
  • work performed outside Ontario (mixed work is more complicated, so check the regulation)

9. When the rules started

The rules generally apply to job postings posted on or after January 1, 2026. The interview reply rule applies to interviews on or after January 1, 2026.

One more note: the Act says the pay rules in section 8.2 will be repealed on a date the government sets later (called a proclamation). That has not happened yet. The pay rules are still in force for now.

Sources

Date checked: October 22, 2026. Not legal advice.

Want these rules in one kit, with a checklist and a spreadsheet checker? See the Canadian Job Posting Compliance Kit.