{"id":46649,"date":"2012-04-10T18:37:46","date_gmt":"2012-04-10T22:37:46","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-05-01T16:00:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:00:33","slug":"does-esa-apply-all-workers-1","status":"publish","type":"publications-page","link":"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications-page\/does-esa-apply-all-workers-1","title":{"rendered":"Does the ESA apply to all workers?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>No. Not all jobs are covered by the ESA. And for some jobs, only parts of the ESA apply.<\/p>\n<p>You do not have to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or have a work permit to be covered by the ESA.<\/p>\n<h2>Independent contractors<\/h2>\n<p>Some employers say that their workers are self-employed and the ESA does not apply to them. If this is your situation, it&#8217;s a good idea to get legal advice.<\/p>\n<p>The rights in the ESA might still apply to you, even if you signed something that says you&#8217;re:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>an independent contractor, or<\/li>\n<li>in business for yourself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications\/beenfired\/where-can-i-find-out-more-and-get-legal-help-1\">Where can I get help and information?<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Canada Labour Code<\/h2>\n<p>Some industries are covered by the Canada Labour Code, instead of the ESA. This includes banks, airlines, some trucking businesses, and broadcasting.<\/p>\n<p>Like the ESA, the Canada Labour Code sets out rules that employers must follow. But the Canada Labour Code might have different rules than the ESA.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, contact the Government of Canada&#8217;s Labour Program, Ontario Region at <strong>1-800-641-4049<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Other times the ESA does not apply<\/h2>\n<p>Other examples where the ESA does not apply include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>students in work experience programs that a school board, college, or university has approved,<\/li>\n<li>people on social assistance who are doing community participation through Ontario Works,<\/li>\n<li>people in jail who are in work programs, and<\/li>\n<li>people ordered or sentenced by a court to work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"box-teal\">\n<p>If you&#8217;re not sure if you&#8217;re covered by the ESA, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications\/beenfired\/where-can-i-find-out-more-and-get-legal-help-1\">Where can I get help and information?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-46649","publications-page","type-publications-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Does the ESA apply to all workers? - CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario \/ \u00c9ducation juridique communautaire Ontario)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications-page\/does-esa-apply-all-workers-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Does the ESA apply to all workers? - CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario \/ \u00c9ducation juridique communautaire Ontario)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"No. Not all jobs are covered by the ESA. 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