³ÉÈË´óƬ-³ÉÈË×ÛºÏÍø-ÑÇÖÞ³ÉÈËÉçÇø

Queen’s University is preparing for new provincial employment standards requirements that will come into effect on January 1, 2026, as part of the Working for Workers Five Act (Bill 190). The legislation introduces several updates to (ESA) that will affect recruitment, onboarding, and record-keeping practices across the university.

The changes apply to Ontario employers and include new disclosure obligations on job postings, increased communications during hiring processes, and expanded requirements for communicating employment information to job applicants and new hires. To ensure Queen’s meets all obligations by the implementation date, Human Resources is updating existing processes, tools, and systems such as CareerQ.
 

Key ESA changes include:

• Compensation disclosure: Public job postings must include an expected rate of pay or compensation range (up to $200,000, with ranges not exceeding $50,000).
• Artificial intelligence disclosure: Public Job postings must indicate when AI tools are used to screen, assess, or select applicants.
• Existing vacancy statement: Public Job postings must clearly state whether the position is for an existing or new vacancy.
• Prohibition on Canadian experience requirements: Job postings and application forms may not require Canadian work experience.
• Notification of hiring decisions: Employers must notify all interviewed applicants of the hiring decision within 45 days of their interview (or final interview).
• Record retention: Employers must retain copies of all publicly advertised postings and related application forms for three years after they are removed from public access.
• Employment information for new hires: Before their first day of work, new employees must receive key information about pay, schedule, employer identity, and initial hours of work.

Note that these changes are not required to be applied before January 1, 2026, so competitions already underway do not need to be altered.  

Over the coming months, training and information sessions will be offered to people leaders across the university, providing detailed instructions, updated templates and tools, and opportunities for questions.

For more information about the upcoming ESA changes, or to register for the upcoming training sessions, visit the or contact your .