Ontario's New Recruitment Law: What Employers Need to Know and How VidCruiter Can Help

Starting January 1, 2026, Ontario employers will face a significant shift in their hiring practices. New legislation under Ontario Regulation 476/24 introduces a "duty to inform" requirement that fundamentally changes how employers communicate with job candidates. If you're an Ontario employer, now is the time to prepare.

Understanding the New Law

Ontario's new recruitment legislation, introduced under Bill 149, the Working for Workers Four Act, brings several important changes to the Employment Standards Act. 

The most impactful provision requires employers to notify candidates who have been interviewed about their hiring status within 45 days of the last interview. This applies specifically to candidates who participate in formal interviews for publicly advertised positions.

Here are the other requirements: 

• Compensation Disclosure: Job postings must include expected compensation or a salary range (not exceeding a $50,000 spread) for positions under $200,000 annually
• Vacancy Disclosure: Job postings must indicate whether the position represents an existing vacancy or is intended to build a candidate pool for future opportunities
• AI Disclosure: Employers must disclose if artificial intelligence is used in recruitment
• Record Retention: Employers must retain copies of job postings and interview communications for three years

What This Means for Ontario Employers

Failure to comply could result in complaints filed with the Ministry of Labour and potential enforcement action. The three-year retention requirement is extensive. You must maintain every job posting and application, every statement made to interviewed candidates (salary discussions, duties, promises, answers to questions, feedback), and every communication (follow-up emails, acknowledgments, action notices, outcome letters). These records must be retrievable, secure, and ready for disclosure upon request.

Here’s how employers can prepare to meet the new requirements:

• Standardize postings with vetted templates and purge discriminatory language like "Canadian experience" requirements
• Automate communications so every dispositioned candidate is notified within the 45-day window
• Train interviewers to treat every "casual chat" as a potential transcript for future scrutiny
• Implement secure storage systems with strict access controls
• Obtain legal oversight before January 1, 2026

This legislation reflects a larger governmental mission to improve transparency and communication in recruitment. With 23% of job seekers citing communication issues as a reason for ghosting employers, these rules aim to create better candidate experiences.

How VidCruiter Solves These Compliance Challenges

Automated Communication Workflows

VidCruiter's applicant tracking system features sophisticated automation tools that handle the duty to inform requirements seamlessly. Create standardized notification templates that automatically trigger at predetermined intervals. Set up automated workflows that track interview dates and trigger notifications before the 45-day deadline, ensuring no candidate falls through the cracks.

Comprehensive Candidate Tracking

VidCruiter provides a centralized platform for managing all aspects of recruitment compliance. The system automatically tracks when candidates are interviewed, including multiple rounds, making it simple to calculate the 45-day notification window. Access real-time reporting for detailed insights into time-to-hire at each stage, and store all applicant profiles, interview notes, communications, and evaluations in one secure location.

Comprehensive Record Retention and Security

VidCruiter securely stores every piece of the recruitment puzzle: job postings, applications, interview communications, salary discussions, feedback, and all candidate correspondence. Records are maintained in encrypted systems with strict access controls, ensuring data is protected and ready for disclosure if required by the Ministry of Labour. Quickly retrieve any historical record in seconds, and receive automated email reminders when the three-year retention period expires, prompting systematic deletion to reduce ongoing storage liability.

Standardized, Legally-Compliant Templates

Create standardized templates that include required compensation information, AI disclosures, and clear vacancy descriptions. VidCruiter helps eliminate problematic language and maintain your employer brand while meeting transparency requirements. Store and access standardized interview scripts and evaluation criteria, ensuring every interviewer follows consistent, documented processes.

Scalability for All Organizations

Whether you're a small business or large enterprise, VidCruiter scales to meet your needs. Manage hundreds or thousands of applications while maintaining personalized communication with every interviewed candidate, and free your HR team from administrative tasks to focus on engaging with qualified candidates.

Best Practices for Compliance

1. Implement Early: Set up automated workflows now to ensure smooth operation from day one
2. Engage Legal Counsel: Have an employment lawyer review your templates and protocols within VidCruiter
3. Train Your Team: Emphasize that every interview conversation must be documented
4. Automate Relentlessly: Configure automated workflows for the 45-day notification requirement
5. Monitor and Audit: Track compliance metrics and ensure consistent protocol adherence
6. Plan for Purging: Establish clear protocols for systematic deletion after three years

The Competitive Advantage

These requirements present an opportunity. Organizations that embrace transparency and maintain excellent candidate communication stand out in today's competitive talent market. Using recruitment automation can help you establish a reputation as an employer that values and respects candidates, attracting higher-quality applicants and building stronger talent pipelines.

VidCruiter's comprehensive platform transforms compliance from a burden into an advantage. The January 2026 deadline may seem distant, but proper implementation takes time. Organizations that begin preparing now will have their systems tested, teams trained, and processes optimized well before the law takes effect.

Ready to ensure compliance and transform your recruitment process? Learn more about VidCruiter's applicant tracking system and schedule a demo to see how our platform can help your organization thrive under Ontario's new recruitment requirements.