Fighting for every dollar: Ontario workers stand up to wage theft

The Workers’ Action Centre (WAC) continues to play a crucial role in protecting Ontario’s workers and helping them understand their rights under the Employment Standards Act (ESA). This law applies to nearly every employee in Ontario, whether you are on probation, part-time, or hired through a temp agency.

One of the most pressing issues WAC tackles is wage theft, when employers fail to pay workers what they have earned. Through education, advocacy, and direct support, the Centre is pushing for stronger enforcement and greater public awareness of this widespread problem.

“Many workers still don’t know their basic rights under the ESA.”

Many workers still don’t know their basic rights under the ESA. Here’s what every worker should understand:

1. Minimum wage: As of October 1^st, 2025, every employee aged 18 and older must earn at least $17.60 per hour.
2. Overtime pay: You must receive 1.5 times your regular rate for every hour worked over 44 hours per week.
3. Public holidays: You’re entitled to nine paid public holidays each year, or a substitute day off with public holiday pay.
4. Vacation rights: After one year of work, you earn two weeks of paid vacation or 4% vacation pay on each cheque. After five years, you receive three weeks or 6% vacation pay.
5. Accurate pay stubs: Employers must provide clear statements listing hours worked, wages, and deductions.
6. Deductions: Employers can only deduct pay if required by law, court order, or with your written consent.
7. Termination pay: After three months of work, you’re entitled to one week of notice or pay per year of service, up to eight weeks.

WAC recommends a few key steps to help protect yourself:

• Keep your own records. Track your hours, pay, and work dates.
• Know your employer. Record their full contact and company information.
• Save every document. Keep copies or photos of contracts, pay stubs, cheques, and communication with supervisors.

These small habits can make a big difference when filing a claim or seeking legal help.

A 2024 WAC survey of more than 500 low-wage workers paints a sobering picture:

• 60% reported at least one pay-related violation.
• 28% lost under $500, while 20% lost more than $5,000.
• 62% never received proper overtime pay.
• 51% weren’t paid for all hours worked.
• 46% missed paid public holidays.
• 47% were paid late.
• 20% went into debt because of missing wages, and 26% had to borrow money to cover bills.

These are signs of a broken system that leaves vulnerable workers behind.

At a recent presentation for Workers’ Justice: A Community-Based Course on Rights and Action, Chris Ramsaroop, organizer with Justicia for Migrant Workers, revealed troubling statistics. Between 2017 and 2023, the Ministry of Labour issued fewer orders to pay wages, dropping from 5,000 to around 2,300 per year. Over 22,000 wage payment orders remain outstanding from 2017 to 2024. Even worse, only 41% of owed wages (about $60 million) were ever paid to workers.

These numbers show how deeply wage theft affects lives across Ontario. Behind every statistic is a person, someone who worked a double shift, skipped meals, or borrowed money just to survive.

Until the provincial government treats wage theft as a serious crime, this cycle of exploitation will continue. Workers deserve not only fair pay, but justice.

If you believe your employer owes you money or you want to learn more about your rights, visit workersactioncentre.org. Knowledge is your first line of defense, and your paycheck depends on it.