Working in Canada may be a little different than working in other countries. All workers in Canada are protected by employment standards created by each province. You can familiarize yourself with some of the characteristics of working in the province of Ontario by having a look at the Government of Ontario's Ministry of Labour website.
More valuable information can be found on the Government of Canada's Working in Canada Tool website. The Working in Canada Tool helps you make well-informed decisions about where to live and work by producing a report that contains information on job descriptions, wages, skills, language training and job opportunities tailored to your needs.
Canada Pension Plan
The Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) is a contributory social insurance program. Everyone who works in Canada must contribute to the CPP and is eligible to collect CPP when they retire. No matter where you work in Canada (excluding Quebec), all your contributions will go to your CPP account. The plan is administered by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) in all provinces and territories except Quebec, which operates a separate plan. Visit the Service Canada Pension Plan website for more information.
Employment Insurance (EI) is a federal program which pays workers who lose their jobs, through no fault of their own (for example, due to shortage of work, seasonal or mass lay-offs), a percentage of their wages for a period of time until they find employment. You must be actively looking for work while collecting EI.
Employment insurance is also paid to new mothers on maternity leave and new fathers on parental leave when they take time off work after their baby is born. Visit the Service Canada Employment Insurance webpage to learn more about EI and the criteria needed to qualify.
In Canada, federal and provincial employment standard laws protect both workers and employers. These laws set minimum wage levels, health and safety standards and hours of work. Human rights laws also help protect employees from being treated unfairly because of their sex, age, race, religion or disability.
It is the responsibility of each person over the age of fifteen who earned an income in Canada in the last year to file income tax. The Canadian Revenue Agency is responsible for collecting income tax for governmental spending. April 30 is the annual deadline to file income tax records for the previous year. Settlement.Org provides more information about the taxation system in Canada.
Working in Canada Temporarily
Every year, over 150,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or to work as live-in caregivers. A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada. Visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website to learn more about working temporarily in Canada.