Health and Safety: Your Rights and Responsibilities

Read the documents located in the content section called Employment Standards Act and Student Worker
Tips. Then read through the Know your Rights power point. Answer the following questions about your
rights as a worker in the province of Ontario. When you are finished, submit to the dropbox.

1. What is the Employment Standards ESA lays out the obligations and rights of employees and
Act (ESA)? managers in Ontario workplaces.
a) To whom does it apply? Most employees and managers in Ontario
b) What is the purpose of it? Its purpose is to protect the rights of the workers
2. What basic ten rights are protected by the ESA?
1.Payment of wages 6. Overtime pay
2.Equal pay for Equal work 7.Pregnancy and parental leave
3.Family medical leave 8. Vacation
4.Public Holidays 9.Critical medical leave
5.Hours of work, eating periods, and rest periods 10.Equal pay for Equal work
3. Under normal circumstances what is the maximum number of hours that employees can work in a
i) day:8 ii) week:48
4. When is a worker entitled to a food break?
Employees could not work more than 5 hours in a row without a 30-minute meal break.

5. What is the present minimum wage for someone:

i) over the age of 18? $14 ii) for a student? $13.14

6. After how many hours a week is 7. By when must overtime be paid? 8. What is the rate of overtime pay?
overtime paid? 44 Overtime must be charged while The wage is one and a half times the
workers operate more than 44 normal rate of pay per each hour of
hours. service.
9. How many paid holidays is the normal Canada Day, New Year’s Day, Canada Day, Boxing Day
working person entitled to? Name them. Family Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day
Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Canada Day
10. Is everyone entitled to vacation pay? How much?
Most employees are entitled to 2 to 3 weeks of paid leave every year. Employers earn their holiday pay and time by
serving with the same company with 12 months. Jobs earn a total of 4% to 6% of gross earnings.
11. What is the difference between Pregnancy Leave and Parental Leave?
The right to maternal leave is different from the ability to resign during maternity. Parental leave is for all parents, while
maternity leave is for mothers only.

12. What benefits are pregnant women entitled to?

61 weeks paid vacation, pension plans, life insurance policies, accident benefits, oral insurance and wellness policies.

13. Is the father of the baby entitled to parental leave benefits?

The child's father is entitled to parental leave under ESA for up to 78 weeks after the infant is raised.

14. When must an employer give notice to an employee who is being terminated?
An employer must give 2 weeks’ notice.
What are the three basic health and safety rights at any workplace?

The three basic health and safety rights at any workplace is the right to refuse, right to participate, and the right to know.

What should you do if you think you should have special safety equipment and don't?

You should talk to a manager or supervisor.

Do you have the right to refuse unsafe work?

Legally, yes.

What is WHMIS training?

WHIMIS training is used to train employees on workplace hazards.

What should you do if you get injured at work?

Receive Emergency medical treatment and disclose the injuries to the boss or WSIB Ontario promptly. You may lodge a
lawsuit, too.

As a student/young worker, does the ESA (Employment Standards Act) apply to you? Are there exemptions?

Yeah, it applies to me. Young jobs have the same rights as all Ontario staff under the ESA. However, there are various
minimum wage laws that relate to students.

What is the minimum wage in Ontario?

$14.00 an hour.

How can you tell if you are not being paid correctly?

There are online resources that inform you what people are getting compensated for a similar role in your business.
Websites such as Salary.com or Glassdoor will help you find out whether you are underpaid.

As a young worker, are you entitled to paid statutory holidays?

I am entitled to paid statutory holidays even as a young worker.

Are you entitled to lunch and coffee breaks?

You can't work for longer than 5 hours without a 30-minute break used to eat.

Can an employer deduct the cost of a company uniform from your pay?

Employers may render a deduction from the wages of workers. That will only if the person decides to get a clear number
withheld in paper.
What should you do if you think you are a victim of discrimination in the workplace?

You may lodge a lawsuit with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

If you feel you have been fired unjustly, who should you contact?

You should get in contact with a jobs lawyer.