Hiring Minors in Ontario: What Employers Need to Know

Retail, hospitality, and seasonal businesses across Ontario regularly hire workers who are still teenagers. It is a normal and legal part of doing business — but hiring minors in Ontario comes with a handful of rules that don't apply to your adult hires, and getting them wrong is an easy, avoidable mistake.

This article covers the main things an Ontario employer needs to think through before a younger worker's first shift: age restrictions, wages, safety, and how school factors in.

Is There a Minimum Age to Work in Ontario?

Ontario does not set one single minimum working age that applies to every job. Instead, minimum ages and restrictions vary by the type of work involved, with stricter limits for hazardous or physically demanding jobs than for lower-risk roles like retail or office work.

Because these thresholds depend on the specific job and industry, don't assume an age that worked for one role automatically applies to another. If you're hiring a younger teen for anything beyond routine, low-risk work, confirm the applicable rules for that specific type of job before you make an offer.

Wages: The Student Minimum Wage

Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 sets a separate, lower minimum wage for students under 18 who work no more than a limited number of hours per week while school is in session (and more hours during school breaks).

These figures are current as of mid-2026 — minimum wage rates in Ontario are adjusted periodically, so verify the rate in effect before you set a pay rate for a student employee.

Two practical notes:

• The student rate only applies within the specific hours-per-week condition set out in the regulation. Once a student worker exceeds that threshold, or once they turn 18, the general minimum wage applies instead.
• During school breaks (summer, March break, etc.), a student employee is generally not limited to the reduced-hours condition in the same way, but confirm the current rule for the specific period.

Hours, Safety, and Hazardous Work

Every employer in Ontario has a general duty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to take reasonable precautions to protect worker safety — and that duty applies with particular weight to younger, less experienced workers who may not yet recognize workplace hazards.

Beyond the general safety duty, Ontario restricts or prohibits minors from certain types of hazardous or age-inappropriate work altogether. The specific restrictions depend on the industry and the exact task, so if the role involves machinery, heights, hazardous substances, or similar risk factors, confirm the applicable restriction before assigning a minor to that task.

Most employers with any workers — regardless of age — also need to register for WSIB coverage; the construction industry has its own mandatory-coverage rules that catch some smaller operators by surprise.

School and Parental Considerations

Even where the law doesn't impose a specific written-consent requirement for every hire, a few practical realities apply when your worker is still in school:

• Compulsory school attendance requirements mean scheduling needs to work around the student's education, not the other way around.
• Many employers choose to loop in a parent or guardian informally when hiring a younger teen, even where not strictly required, simply to confirm availability and address any concerns up front.
• Keep scheduling flexible around exam periods and school hours — a rigid schedule that conflicts with school obligations creates friction (and turnover) fast.

Everything Else Still Applies

A common misconception is that because a worker is young, the usual employment rules don't fully apply. They do. A minor employee is still entitled to the same core protections as any other Ontario employee, including:

• ESA notice of termination (or pay in lieu) once the minimum service threshold is met
• Public holiday pay and vacation entitlements under the ESA
• WSIB coverage where the employer is required to carry it
• Protection under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including the right to refuse unsafe work

Don't treat a younger worker's file as a lighter version of your standard onboarding — it should cover the same ground, plus the age-specific items above.

A Quick Hiring Checklist

• [ ] Confirm the applicable age and role restrictions for the specific type of work
• [ ] Verify the current student minimum wage rate (or general minimum wage, if applicable) before setting pay
• [ ] Build a work schedule around school hours and exam periods
• [ ] Provide safety orientation appropriate to a first-time or inexperienced worker
• [ ] Confirm WSIB coverage is in place for the role
• [ ] Use the same written offer and contract practices you'd use for any other new hire

Frequently asked questions