New rules for job advertisements in Ontario, Canada, from January

The new year is ushering in major changes to Ontario's job advertising laws. The new rules, which will take effect on January 1, 2026, will require the disclosure of several key pieces of information to increase transparency in the hiring process.

These changes, brought under the Employment Standards Act, will apply to all establishments with 25 or more employees.

According to the new rules, every public job advertisement must provide salary or remuneration information. If a salary range is provided, it must be limited to a maximum of $50,000 per year. If artificial intelligence (AI) is used in the recruitment process, it must be clearly stated.

No job advertisement may ask for 'Canadian work experience'. Candidates must be notified within 45 days of the final interview whether a hiring decision has been made.

Catherine Tremblay, owner of Altice Recruitment, a recruitment firm operating across Canada, praised the government for its efforts to increase transparency and fairness, but expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the proposed changes.

"I welcome the pay transparency initiative. But I have my doubts about whether it will actually have the desired results," she said.

According to him, a broad salary range of $50,000 can be confusing for job seekers and reduce the real value of the information.