Employee communications are obviously a significant part of any workplace. This includes everything from employee-specific instructions and feedback to company wide announcements and policies. In addition to these regular workflows, Canadian employment laws mandate that employers provide certain employee communications.
Every workplace in Canada must have specified posters or documents posted in their workplace. In some cases, employment information must be provided directly to employees.
Posting and providing employment information to employees may seem relatively easy to implement. But, employee communication requirements vary from one province to the next. What’s more, requirements often change, making implementation of the rules more challenging. If employers fail to comply with these employee communication requirements, they can face enforcement action, including penalties and fines.
To help HR compliance professionals implement these requirements effectively, Compliance Works has published this guide to employee communications plus a sample “Employee Communications Checklist” for Ontario employers.
Employee Communications on Basic Employment Entitlements
Basic employment entitlements are the minimum standards that every employer must meet – as soon as they hire 1 employee. These laws govern things like overtime, minimum wage, holidays and vacations. Many provinces require employers to communicate these basic entitlements to their employees.
Some provinces, like British Columbia and Ontario, create their own posters setting out basic employee entitlements. Employers must provide a copy of this poster to each employee, as a part of their employee communications program.
Other provinces require employers to post certain employment standards information in the workplace. For example, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, PEI and Saskatchewan have laws mandating minimum wage information be posted in the workplace.
What’s New: Ontario has been expanding mandatory employee communications for employers in that province. Effective July 1, 2025, employers with 25 or more employees must provide the following information (in writing) to each employee:
- pay period and pay day
- name of employer
- contact information
- general description of where employee will work and hours of work
- starting wages or commission.
For further details on what is required in Ontario, see the Ontario employee communications checklist (above). And for more details on these fundamental entitlements, see our employment standards primer, which sets out the top 10 requirements that every employer should know.
Employee Communications re Workplace Health & Safety
Health and safety laws set out the majority of mandatory employee communications. Every jurisdiction in Canada requires employers to post certain health and safety information in the workplace. These laws vary from one jurisdiction to the next, but typically they include requirements to post the following documents in a “conspicuous place”:
- copies of health and safety legislation
- names of and contact information for health and safety committee members
- health and safety policies and procedures
- first aid signs, certificates and/or procedures
- no smoking signs
- any applicable health and safety orders or reports.
What’s New: Ontario recently a made it easier for employers to meet their employee communications obligations. Now employers can provide certain health and safety information in a “readily accessible electronic format“. Employers must tell workers where and how to access this information, and ensure that it is posted in an electronic format that can be readily accessed by workers in the workplace. For more information on what can and cannot be posted electronically, see the Ontario employee communications checklist (above).
If you need more information on the fundamentals, see our health and safety primer, which sets out the top 10 requirements that every employer should know.
Other Employee Communication Rules
There are a few other employee communication requirements, which vary depending on the HR legislation of the Canadian jurisdiction.
Jurisdictions with expansive pay equity legislation (i.e., federal, Ontario and Quebec legislation applies to the private sector) require employers with 10 or more employees to post a notice in the workplace of their pay equity obligations. Employers in provinces with robust accessibility laws (i.e., Manitoba and Ontario) must advise employees of accessibility supports.
Ontario – the only Canadian jurisdiction which requires employers with 25+ employees to have disconnect from work and electronic monitoring policies – also mandates that these employers provide copies of these policies to their employees.
It probably doesn’t come as a surprise – to those with Quebec-based employees – that the province has unique requirements regarding employee communications. Specifically, Quebec’s Charter of the French Language requires employers to recognize French as the language of work. Employers must provide written communications (e.g., offers of employment/transfer, employment contracts, application forms, training documents) to Quebec workers in French. For more information on how Quebec’s French language laws impact employee communications, see our earlier post: French Language Laws Triggered by 1 Quebec Employee.
How can Compliance Works help with mandatory employee communications?
Compliance Works makes it easy for HR teams to ensure they are aware of and complying with all mandatory employee communications.
- Review your interactive checklist and track your progress.
- Read the applicable summary to understand exactly what you need to do.
- Receive updates – outlining any changes to employee communication laws in Canada – in real time!
Contact us to Request a Demo or email us at info@complianceworks.ca to learn how a subscription to Compliance Works can help your HR team succeed.
