Wage compliance is unglamorous until it is expensive. With Ontario's minimum wage now at $17.60 per hour, it is a good moment for a refresher on the rules that matter most in industrial workplaces.
Minimum wage applies to everyone
Assignment employees, probationary workers, seasonal staff — the general minimum wage applies. If a posted rate is below the current minimum, it is not a valid job offer; it is a liability.
Overtime: 44 hours, 1.5x
Ontario overtime begins after 44 hours in a work week at time-and-a-half. Common pitfalls: averaging hours across weeks without an agreement, missing overtime on workers who float between departments, and assuming salaried titles are exempt when duties say otherwise.
Public holidays
Ontario's public holidays come with holiday pay calculated from prior earnings — and temporary workers qualify under the same formula. "They're temps" is not an exemption.
Temporary help: joint responsibilities
When you use an agency, the agency is the employer of record — payroll, statutory deductions, WSIB and ESA compliance sit with it. But client businesses share responsibility for a safe workplace and accurate hours reporting. A licensed agency (ours is THA-0000002672) protects you here; an unlicensed one exposes you.
The simple audit
- Confirm every current rate is at or above $17.60.
- Spot-check one week of overtime calculations.
- Verify your staffing suppliers hold a valid Ontario licence.