Employment Standards Act, 2000, s. 3(5), paragraphs 1, 2 and 2.1
Unpaid only under a program your school approves
The Act does not apply to a secondary school student working under a work experience program authorized by the school board that runs their school, to a person working under a program approved by a college of applied arts and technology or a university, or to a person working under a program approved by a private career college registered under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 (where any prescribed criteria are met). The exclusion also covers the host the student works for. See Ontario’s list of industries and jobs not covered.
What it means at NEO: We host a placement only once we have your school’s written placement agreement or approval for it. Your word alone isn’t enough. Anything outside what your school approves would be paid work.
Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017
No unpaid trial or training period
The 2017 Act repealed the former exemption for trainees, with effect from 2018. Someone an employer trains in a skill its employees use is now generally an employee, entitled to at least minimum wage. See the Ministry’s Policy and Interpretation Manual, Part I.
What it means at NEO: We never offer an unpaid trial, an unpaid training period, or job shadowing that involves doing work.
Employment Standards Act: employee status
The label doesn’t decide who is an employee
Whether someone is an employee depends on the real arrangement, not what it is called. Calling a person a volunteer or an intern doesn’t make unpaid work lawful, and employers may not treat employees as either. See employee status in Ontario’s guide to the Act.
What it means at NEO: We are a for-profit professional corporation, so we don’t offer volunteer positions or internships. The only unpaid arrangement we offer is a placement your school approves as part of your program.
Employment Standards Act: minimum wage
Everyone else is paid at least minimum wage
Anyone the Act covers is entitled to at least the minimum wage, including the student rate where it applies. The current rates are on ontario.ca.
What it means at NEO: Outside a school-approved placement, including any hours beyond what your school approves, work with us would be paid at not less than Ontario minimum wage. We don’t print a figure here: ontario.ca has the current rates.
Law Society of Ontario: accredited paralegal education programs
Paralegal program field placements
An accredited paralegal program includes a field placement, commonly 240 hours (120 for students whose program began before September 1, 2024), in work within the paralegal scope of practice, supervised by a licensee in good standing. The host completes the school’s attendance and evaluation forms. Your program and its placement office set the exact requirements.
What it means at NEO: We host for the hours your program requires, under the direct supervision of a licensed paralegal in good standing, and the supervising paralegal sends your school’s forms from the firm’s own email address.
Law Society of Ontario: rights of appearance for paralegal field placement students
Court and tribunal appearances
Students in an accredited paralegal program’s field placement may appear before Ontario courts and tribunals on certain matters, only under the direct supervision of a licensee, identifying themselves as a “paralegal student”. Courts and tribunals control their own process, and the supervising licensee takes full professional responsibility. See the Law Society’s rights of appearance for paralegal field placement.
What it means at NEO: Any appearance is at the supervising paralegal’s discretion, with express instructions and direct supervision, on a suitable matter where the court or tribunal allows it. It is never promised, and students in any other program don’t appear for anyone.
By-Law 7.1, Part I, and Paralegal Rules of Conduct, rule 8.01
What a student may and may not do
A licensee must directly supervise anyone they assign tasks to, and must not let a non-licensee give legal advice, act for anyone before a court or tribunal unless permitted, negotiate without approval, take instructions without approval, give or accept undertakings, sign anything but routine correspondence, send documents the licensee hasn’t reviewed, or be held out as a licensee. See By-Law 7.1 and Rule 8.
What it means at NEO: You do supervised support work only, you are introduced as a student, and you are never called a paralegal, agent, legal advisor or associate. The full may and may-not lists are on the hub.
Paralegal Rules of Conduct, rules 3.03 and 8.01
Confidentiality
A paralegal must keep client information confidential and make sure the people they supervise do the same. See Rule 3.
What it means at NEO: Before you see any client file, you sign a confidentiality undertaking and a conflict-of-interest declaration, and we run a conflict check. Confidentiality continues after the placement ends.
Law Society of Ontario: law students
Law students (JD)
Law students’ rights to appear depend on supervision by a lawyer, and articling needs a lawyer as principal. See the Law Society’s rights of appearance for law students.
What it means at NEO: A JD student whose law school approves a placement supervised by a licensed paralegal may ask about support work within the paralegal scope only. They don’t appear for anyone here, and the placement is not articling and doesn’t count toward lawyer licensing.
Ontario: minimum age to work
Students under 18
Ontario sets a minimum age for each kind of workplace, and limits work during school hours for students of school age. See minimum age to work.
What it means at NEO: Our online form is for applicants 18 and older. Under 18, we can consider a placement only through your school board’s co-op program, with a parent or guardian’s contact details, and a parent or guardian co-signs the confidentiality undertaking.
Workplace insurance for placement students
Workplace insurance
For approved unpaid placements in publicly funded college and university programs, the Ontario government arranges workplace insurance through the school. High school co-op uses the school board’s Work Education Agreement. Private career college programs may not have that coverage, so the college should confirm how a placement is covered.
What it means at NEO: We confirm the insurance with your school before your first day and agree the injury-reporting steps with your school. The firm’s WSIB account is on our Workplace Safety page.
Privacy
Your information
We follow the fair information principles of Canada’s private-sector privacy law: collect only what is needed, say why, keep it only as long as needed, and let people see, correct or delete it.
What it means at NEO: The form asks for no SIN, date of birth, ID, photo or immigration documents. We keep an enquiry for up to 12 months after we decide (on the talent list, up to 12 months after you send it), and we never add you to a mailing list or send you marketing emails. See our Privacy Policy.
PIPEDA-compliant
