
Payroll and Benefits Guide Canada – Ontario
Last updated: Apr 09, 2023
Contributions
Employer
Employer Payroll Contributions
5.95% |
Canada Pension Plan (CPP) (applied on salary between 3,500 CAD to 66,600 CAD) |
2.282% |
Federal Employment insurance (EI) (applied on salary up to 61,500 CAD ) |
1.67% |
Workplace Safety Insurance |
1.95% |
Health Tax |
11.852% |
Total Employment Cost |
Employee
Employee Payroll Contributions
5.95% |
Canada Pension Plan (CPP) (applied on salary between 3,500 CAD to 66,600 CAD) |
1.63% |
Employment Insurance (EI) (applied on salary up to 61,500 CAD ) |
Ontario Health Premium (total remuneration) |
|
0.98% |
Up to 200,000 CAD |
1.101% |
200,000 CAD to 230,000 CAD |
1.223% |
230,000 CAD to 260,000 CAD |
1.344% |
260,000 CAD to 290,000 CAD |
1.465% |
290,000 CAD to 320,000 CAD |
1.586% |
320,000 CAD to 350,000 CAD |
1.708% |
350,000 CAD to 380,000 CAD |
1.829% |
380,000 CAD to 400,000 CAD |
1.95% |
More than 400,000 CAD |
7.28% + Health Premium |
Total Employee Cost |
Employee
Employee Income Tax
Federal: |
|
15.00% |
Up to 53,359.00 CAD |
20.50% |
53,359.01 CAD to 106,717.00 CAD |
26.00% |
106,717.01 CAD to 165,430.00 CAD |
29.00% |
165,430.01 CAD to 235,675.00 CAD |
33.00% |
235,675.00 CAD and over |
Ontario: |
|
5.05% |
Up to 49,231 CAD |
9.15% |
49,231.01 CAD – 98,463.00 CAD |
11.16% |
98,463.01 CAD – 150,000.00 CAD |
12.16% |
150,000.00 CAD – 220,000.00 CAD |
13.16% |
220,000.00 CAD and over |
Employer taxes
Employee taxes
Minimum Wage
General
The standard hourly minimum wage in Ontario is 15.50 CAD.
The minimum wage rate set for employees of federally regulated organizations will be the current minimum wage rate specified in the jurisdiction in which the employee performs the work.
MINIMUM WAGE (PER MONTH)
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
An employer has 1 month to remit an employee’s first pay. After this, wages must be paid at regular intervals of no more than 16 days, or 1 month in case of managerial personnel. If pay day falls on a statutory holiday, the wages must be paid on the preceding working day.
13th Salary
There are no provisions in the law regarding 13th salaries.
Working Hours
General
Per the Employment Standards Labor Code, the maximum working hours shall not exceed 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week, with a maximum (inclusive of overtime) of 48 hours per week.
Overtime
An employer must pay an employee overtime pay for overtime hours at an overtime rate that is at least 150% of the employee’s regular rate of pay or one hour of time off in lieu.
Working Week
Monday-Friday
Leave
Paid Time Off
In Ontario, employees are entitled to two consecutive weeks of annual leave after the first year of employment and three consecutive weeks of leave after five years of employment.
Employees are entitled to vacation pay of 4.00% of the regular salary rate of pay for the first five years of employment and 6.00% of the regular salary rate of pay after five years of employment.
Public Holidays
There are 9 public holidays in Ontario. Employees that work on a statutory/public holiday are paid 150% of the regular hourly salary rate of pay plus public holiday pay, or regular rate of salary for all the hours worked plus a substitute day off with public holiday pay. When public holidays fall on a weekend it is customary to give off in lieu either the previous working day or next working day.
Sick Days
The Canada Labour Code was updated with effect from December 1, 2022, to provide 10 days of paid sick leave to employees in the federally regulated private sector, (which is limited to specific industries) There is a thirty day qualifying period for covered employees; therefore, on December 31, employees who have been continuously employed for at least 30 days will have access to their first three days of paid sick leave. As of February 1, 2023, employees will acquire a fourth day, and will continue to accumulate one day a month up to a maximum of 10 days per year.
Effective December 18, 2022, Canada’s Employment Insurance sickness benefits were extended from 15 weeks to 26 weeks. As such, qualified individuals who establish a new claim on or after December 18, 2022 will receive up to 26 weeks of Employment Insurance sickness benefits, paid at 55% of their average weekly insurance earnings, for up to a maximum of $650 per week in 2023.
Maternity Leave
Employees are entitled to up to 17 weeks of leave if the employee has completed at least one year of employment before the due date. Maternity leave may not begin before the 17th week preceding the expected delivery date and shall end not later than 18 weeks after. If the delivery occurs after the expected date, the employee is entitled to at least two additional weeks of maternity leave.
Special maternity leave may begin four weeks before the expected delivery date when there is a risk of termination of her pregnancy or a danger for the health of the mother or unborn child caused by the pregnancy. Two weeks’ notice and a medical certificate is required.
Employment insurance provides maternity and parental benefits to:
- People who are away from work because they’re pregnant or have recently given birth
- Parents who are away from work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child
- Workers are entitled to 55% of their earnings for 15 weeks up to a maximum of CAD650 a week
Maternity benefits are only available to the person who is away from work because they’re pregnant or have recently given birth. They can’t be shared between parents.
The person receiving maternity benefits may also be entitled to parental benefits.
Maternity benefits can be followed by parental benefits. You may apply for both at once.
For further information visit the Government of Canada website.
PAID MATERNITY LEAVE (DAYS)
Paternity Leave
Paternal leave falls under parental leave.
Parental Leave
Parents are entitled to up to 63 weeks of leave to care for a newborn or adopted child. The parental leave cannot begin before the week of birth or when the child is legally adopted.
The leave should begin no later than 78 weeks after the birth or adoption.
Employment insurance provides maternity and parental benefits to:
- People who are away from work because they’re pregnant or have recently given birth
- Parents who are away from work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child
The assistance details are as follows:
Benefit name | Maximum weeks | Benefit rate | Weekly max |
Standard parental | Up to 40 weeks can be shared between parents, but one parent cannot receive more than 35 weeks of standard benefits | 55% | up to $650 |
Extended parental | Up to 69 weeks can be shared between parents, but one parent cannot receive more than 61 weeks of extended benefits | 33% | up to $390 |
For further information visit the Government of Canada website.
Other Leave
In Ontario, employees are entitled to:
- 2 days of mandatory leave for the bereavement of a family member
- Approximately 8 weeks of leave for compassionate care leave
- Up to 3 days of unpaid leave for family responsibility leave
- Up to 28 weeks per year of unpaid leave for Family Medical leave.
- Up to 37 weeks of leave in the case of a critical illness
- Up to 104 weeks in the event of the death of an employee’s child, or in the case that the child has disappeared.
- All employers must provide their full-time, regularly employed employees, job-protected, unpaid leave for their duty as jurors or as a witness in a case, responding to a subpoena, or acting as a plaintiff or defendant in the courts. Employees must provide a copy of the jury summons to the employer as evidence of the requirement.
- Reservist Leave regulations require employers to provide up to 20 days of unpaid leave each calendar year for annual training for reservists once they have completed at least 26 consecutive weeks of service with the same employer. An employee may take reservist leave for the following reasons:
- Deployment to Canadian forces operation outside Canada
- Deployment to Canadian forces operation inside Canada that is assisting with an emergency or the aftermath of an emergency
- Annual training, including related travel time, for up to 20 days in a calendar year
- Other operations set out as such in the Employment Standards Regulation by the minister
- Reservist Leave regulations require employers to provide up to 20 days of unpaid leave each calendar year for annual training for reservists once they have completed at least 26 consecutive weeks of service with the same employer. An employee may take reservist leave for the following reasons:
Termination
Termination Process
The termination process is standard in Ontario, Canada. It is based on termination reasons within the General Labor Law, unless an employer can provide sufficient cause for dismissal without notice (i.e., due to misconduct).
Notice Period
In general, notice periods in Ontario are stipulated within the employment contract or collective agreement and is linked to the reason for termination and the employee’s length of service:
- Up to 2 years of employment: 1 weeks’ notice
- 2-4 years of employment: 2 weeks’ notice
- 4-6 years of employment: 4 weeks’ notice
- 6-8 years of employment: 5 weeks’ notice
- 8-10 years of employment: 6 weeks’ notice
- 10+ years of employment: 8 weeks’ notice
Severance Pay
To be eligible for severance pay, an employee must have completed at least five years of employment, or the company has a payroll of over 2.5 million CAD per year or have terminated over 50 employees in the past six months due to all or part of the company closing to receive severance payments. The severance pay calculation is based on one week’s regular salary rate per year of employment.
Probation Period
Probation period in Ontario for a permanent employee is generally a minimum of 3 months.
Common Benefits
General
Cell Phone, internet allowance, and car allowance.
Supplementary health care/dental plan – typically covers costs of items or care that is not covered by Canada’s universal healthcare system such as prescription drugs or vision ware.
Private pension contribution of the employer (2-6 % of base salary).
VISA
VISA
The Government of Canada operates the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to enable foreign citizens to apply to work in Canada for a set period. The program covers all job roles and knowledge levels, and it can be used when a qualified Canadian citizen or permanent resident is not available or suitable for the role. There are federal (Government of Canada) immigration programs and provincial programs (Government of Ontario) in place in Ontario.
VAT
General
Canadian Federal GST is charged at 5%. Ontario PST is 8%, resulting in a combined GST and PST rate of 13.00%.
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Payroll contributions and personal income tax rates have been updated.
Questions & Answers

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Payroll and Benefits Guide
in Canada – Ontario
What’s covered in this guide:
- Employer/employee contributions
- Minimum wage
- Working hours
- Visa requirements
And more...
Public Holidays Calendar
Day | Date | Holiday | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Sunday | Jan-1 | New Year’s Day | |
Monday | Feb-20 | Family Day | |
Friday | Apr-7 | Good Friday | |
Monday | May-22 | Victoria Day | |
Saturday | Jul-1 | Canada Day | |
Monday | Aug-7 | Civic Holiday | |
Monday | Sep-4 | Labour Day | |
Monday | Oct-9 | Thanksgiving | |
Monday | Dec-25 | Christmas Day | |
Tuesday | Dec-26 | Boxing Day |
Are employees who work on Sundays or in a late shift entitled to higher pay for those hours?
Hi Walter, thanks for your question.
There is no law that requires you to pay more to employees who work on Sundays or late at night.
how much insurance normally does the employer pay annually to its employee?
Hi Erez, thank you for your question. Are you referring to private health insurance or something else?
Yes private one. Like for instance what employer pays in the US but this time in canada
This really varies based on multiple factors, including what kind of private insurance this covers (i.e. dental, dependents, etc.), job title, and more.
generally about $3,500 to $5,500 for a typical life, LTD, health and dental plan.
My employees (Ontario business) were paid stat hours for Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years Day even though we closed for the first week of January (when we would normally have been open) giving everyone time off and I understand that we could have skipped paying the stats since we gave a day off in lieu of said stat holiday so now my question is regarding Family Day. Because we paid for three stats when we didn’t need to, am I required to pay FD stat or can I explain that the stats paid over Christmas were a bonus basically? And an error on my part? (Also, FD falls on a Monday and we are always closed on Mondays). If anyone can assist me with this thank you in advance.
Based on the info provided, the day off in lieu (substitute holiday) would be if they had to work on the stat and were paid regular wages but given another day off in lieu to avoid paying time and a half. They will still receive stat pay for the day off in lieu and this agreement would need to be in writing and agreed upon by the employee. I believe these workers had a week off however this wasn’t paid. They would still be entitled to stat pay. As long as they worked their regularly scheduled shift before and after the stat holiday, which it sounds like they did.
Substitute holiday
A substitute holiday is an additional day off work that replaces a public holiday. Employees are entitled to be paid public holiday pay for a substitute holiday.
The substitute holiday must be scheduled no later than three months after the public holiday for which it was earned, or, if the employee has agreed to the substitute day off electronically or in writing, up to 12 months after the public holiday.
A substitute holiday must be documented in writing, with the public holiday being substituted, the date of the substitute holiday, and the date the statement was given to the employee. This statement must be provided to the employee before the public holiday.
Is there a requirement to verify right to work in Canada (similar to an I-9 in the US?) If so, what are the documentation requirements?
Employers must ask workers to provide their Social Insurance Number (SIN) in order for them to work.
How do we include RRSP contributions as an employer?
Companies source a specific RRSP plan which workers can contribute to alongside the employer. If the worker already has a plan on their own, the employer might still be able to contribute depending on the plan set up.