Labour ministry releases ESA compliance tool for employers

Ontario workplaces have a new online tool to assist them in understanding and complying with rules about hours of work and overtime under the Employment Standards Act (ESA).
The Ministry of Labour has launched the Hours of Work and Overtime Tool, adding to the ministry's completes suite of helpful, interactive tools available on the ministry’s website. The tools already online have proven immensely popular with employers, employees and workplace professionals of all kinds, the ministry said. They have logged more than half a million uses since the first tool appeared on the ministry’s website in April, 2009. The Hours of Work and Overtime Tool is expected to boost usage even higher.

“It’s the most comprehensive online tool we’ve developed to date. By allowing employers to confirm compliance and employees to understand their entitlements, it will mean less confrontation and fewer claims. This is good news for business and good news for employees,” said Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour, in a statement.

The Hours of Work and Overtime (HOW) Tool will help employers to confirm and comply with specific rules concerning employee hours of work. It will allow them to determine compliance for a range of standards such as daily rest, overtime, averaging and rest between shifts. The tool will also allow employees to understand their entitlements.

The HOW Tool features tutorials and calculators and serves as an introduction and link to the online forms required for requesting excess hours and overtime averaging.

“These online tools will help employers to more effectively understand and comply with Employment Standards legislation. They will also help small and medium sized employers by providing important management information in a clear and concise format. Compliance tools and assistance such as these are critical to helping reduce the regulatory burden on employers, making them more agile and competitive in the process,” said Ian Howcroft, vice-president, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Ontario.

The ministry has five other online tools to help employers and employees understand and comply with the ESA, including:
    •    Employer Workbook
    •    Public Holiday Pay Calculator 
    •    Severance Tool 
    •    Special Rule Tool
    •    Termination Tool