Starting on January 1st, 2026, companies will be required to legally update candidates on the status of their application within 45 days of their last interview. This “duty to inform” requirement will apply specifically to employers with 25 or more employees and is applicable to all candidates who will undergo the interview process with such an employer.
These changes are part of the Ontario Government’s Working for Workers series of legislation. We have previously written on changes stemming from these pieces of legislation including, most recently, Bill 30, the Working for Workers Seven Act, and about job posting rules found in Working for Workers Five Act.
The Ontario government states that the goal of this law is to create more transparency and communication between candidates and employers. The government also seeks to put a stop to fraudulent job postings, or postings that exist solely to generate a candidate pool even when there is no vacant position.
This law comes into effect alongside other new requirements for job postings in January 2026. These include:
- A disclosure within the job advertisement about the expected compensation for the position or the expected compensation range.
- Whether the advertisement is for a currently existing vacancy or not.
- A disclosure whether AI is used in the screening process for applicants for the respective position.
- Prohibition of the requirement of Canadian experience specifically.
- Employers will be required to maintain their records regarding the job posting, application forms, and interview data for 3 years from the date that the posting is taken down by the employer.
Want to make sure you are keeping up with the constantly changing Ontario policies? Contact Bridge Legal & HR Solutions and we can make sure your recruitment and hiring practices are adhering to the law. Contact us through our contact form or call us at 647-794-5442.
