Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
Working to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, promoting and enforcing employment standards, helping settle workplace disputes and collective agreements, supporting apprenticeships, the skilled trades, industry training and employment services in Ontario.
Employment standards
- A guide to minimum wage, public holidays, termination of employment and more
- Industries and jobs with exemptions or special rules
- File an employment standards claim
- Tools and calculators
- Employment Standards Act policy and interpretation manual
- COVID-19: temporary changes to Employment Standards Act rules
Workplace health and safety
- Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace
- Novel coronavirus (COVID-19): general information
- A guide to understanding the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Health and safety awareness training
- Working at heights training
- Joint health and safety committee certification training
- Workplace violence and harassment
- Occupational health and safety compliance
Services for job seekers
Services for employers
Education and career planning
Find a career you wouldn't trade
Learn how to become a tradesperson, find resources if you're an employer or currently working, and get job advice.
Posters required in the workplace
For employers: Download posters and find out what you must post in the workplace by law.
What we do
- work to eliminate workplace fatalities, injuries and illness through prevention and enforcement
- work with system partners such as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and the Health and Safety Associations (HSAs), to reduce and prevent fatalities, illness and injuries in workplaces
- develop and implement health and safety awareness and training programs
- work with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to protect and support injured workers and employers while ensuring the organizations long-term sustainability
- inspect high-risk workplaces to ensure compliance with the Employment Standards Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act
- investigate employment standards complaints
- enforce employment standards such as hours of work, vacation pay, minimum wage, etc.
- educate employers and employees about their workplace rights and obligations
- provide funding to third party organizations through a number of grant programs
- provide neutral collective agreement conciliation and mediation to help unions and employers
- appoint arbitrators to resolve workplace grievances and labour disputes
- provide neutral collective bargaining data, research, and analysis
- deliver and promote employment and training services to people across the province
- help people adjust to changes in the economy, retrain and find work
- offer resources for career exploration and education planning
- support employers and workers interested in hiring and training for skilled trades and apprenticeship careers
- help people prepare for higher education and employment through adult learning programs
- collect and analyze labour market data and report on job trends in Ontario
- help employers hire and train employees through programs, grants and incentives
- promote skilled immigration to attract international talent needed in Ontario's economy
Contact us
Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
- Facebook – Workplaces and employment
- Facebook – Immigration
- Twitter – Workplaces and employment
- Twitter – Immigration
- Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
14th Floor, 400 University Avenue,
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1T7 - Employee directory
- Media contacts
- Contact the Minister
Employment Standards Information Centre
- webes@ontario.ca
416-326-7160 1-800-531-5551 1-866-567-8893
Health and Safety Contact Centre
- webohs@ontario.ca
1-877-202-0008 1-855-653-9260
Employment Ontario
- contactEO@ontario.ca
416-326-5656 1-800-387-5656 1-866-533-6339 - Live chat
Labour relations information
- webdrs@ontario.ca
416-326-7358
(Collective Bargaining Information Services and Mediation Services)416-326-1300
(Grievance Mediation Services and Arbitration Services)
Ministry news
Ministry newsletters
Agencies, boards and commissions
The ministry is affiliated with the following independent agencies:
- Fairness Commissioner
- Grievance Settlement Board
- Office of the Employer Adviser
- Office of the Worker Adviser
- Ontario Labour Relations Board
- Pay Equity Commission
- Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal
- Prevention Council
- Public Service Grievance Board
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
Legislation
The ministry administers the following legislation:
- Ambulance Services Collective Bargaining Act, 2001
- Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act, 1993
- Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act, 2009
- Employment Standards Act, 2000
- Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017
- Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, Part IX (Firefighters: Employment and Labour Relations)
- Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act
- Labour Relations Act, 1995
- Ministry of Labour Act
- Modernizing the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Act
- Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009
- Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009 (except in respect of apprenticeship)
- Pay Equity Act
- Protecting Child Performers Act, 2015
- Public Sector Dispute Resolution Act, 1997
- Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act, 1997
- Public Service of Ontario Act, 2006 [only in respect of the Public Service Grievance Board]
- Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013
- Regulatory Modernization Act, 2007
- Rights of Labour Act
- SARS Assistance and Recovery Strategy Act, 2003, Part I (SARS Emergency Leave)
- Toronto Transit Commission Labour Disputes Resolution Act, 2011
- Workers Day of Mourning Act, 2016
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997
Updated: August 11, 2021
