Ontario employers have a positive obligation to post a number of items on their employee bulletin boards, and a failure to do so can lead to tickets, compliance orders, or in fewer cases, charges and fines.
The Ministry of Labour has recently updated a document called “Posting and Training Requirements”, which states that employers must post the following documents in each workplace:
-Occupational Health and Safety Act
-Health and Safety Policy
-Workplace Violence Policy*
-Workplace Harassment Policy*
-Names and work locations of joint health and safety committee members (for workplaces requiring a JHSC)
-WSIB poster, “In Case of Injury–1234”
*Note that a workplace violence policy and workplace harassment policy need not be posted in workplaces with five or fewer regularly employed workers.
Leaving aside occupational health and safety and WSIB posting requirements, employers must also post the Ministry of Labour’s poster, “What You Should Know About The Ontario Employment Standards Act”.
And, of course, if the employer receives Ministry of Labour compliance orders under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the orders must also be posted for a certain period of time.
It is strategically important for employers to ensure that all of the above documents are posted in the workplace. When Ministry of Labour inspectors visit, they often look at the bulletin board. Complying with all the posting requirements will send a positive signal about the employer’s commitment to safety.
The Ministry of Labour’s “Posting and Training Requirements” document can be accessed here.
