When your Ontario employer has not paid wages

An unpaid wage issue starts with accurate records of work and payment. Keep schedules, time records, pay statements, bank deposits, and communications about the missing amount. Identify the pay periods and separate regular wages from overtime, vacation pay, or other possible entitlements.

Ontario employment standards procedures and civil proceedings can involve different remedies and limits. Starting one route may affect another, so obtain advice before making a filing decision. Coverage also depends on the employment relationship, industry, and possible exemptions. An employer's cash-flow problem does not itself answer whether wages are legally owed. A clear calculation and a short explanation of the discrepancy can support a written request for correction and a more efficient legal assessment.

Prepare a pay-period worksheet showing hours or units worked, the applicable rate, amounts paid, and the difference claimed. If the employer disputes hours, identify supporting schedules, messages, access records, or other lawfully available evidence. Separate a payroll error from a disagreement about employment status or entitlement. A concise written request to payroll can identify the discrepancy and ask for an explanation without making unsupported allegations. Keep the response and any corrected statement with the original records.

Before filing, assess the whole employment dispute. A wage issue may overlap with a termination claim, a union grievance, or another statutory process. The available forum can affect what may be pursued elsewhere, so do not submit multiple proceedings simply to preserve every imagined option. Confirm coverage, applicable time limits, and the legal identity of the employer. If payment arrives after a demand, reconcile what remains outstanding and any settlement wording attached to it. A clear account supports efficient advice and a recovery request grounded in the actual work and payments.

Sources

• Ontario employment standards payment of wages
• Ontario employment standards filing a claim

Read next: Overtime pay and salaried employees in Ontario

General Ontario legal information, not legal advice for your matter, and reading it does not create a retainer. Sources checked 15 October 2026: check the current law, forms and dates before you act.

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This article is general information for people in Ontario, not legal advice. Rules, forms and deadlines change, and every situation is different. Check the current rule or speak to a licensed legal professional before you act.