Hours of Work, Breaks, and Rest in Ontario
Ontario limits how many hours your employer can make you work and guarantees rest between shifts and an eating period. Here are the rules on hours, breaks, and time off.
Key takeaways
- There is a daily cap of 8 hours (or your regular shift) and a weekly cap of 48 hours.
- Going over those caps generally needs your written agreement, not just an order.
- You are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours off each day and 8 hours between shifts.
- You get a 30-minute eating period for every 5 hours worked; coffee breaks are not required by law.
- You are entitled to at least 24 consecutive hours off each week.
In this article
There is a limit to how much your employer can make you work, and rules guaranteeing you rest. A lot of employees do not know these exist, so they work through what the law says they are entitled to have off. Here is what the Employment Standards Act actually requires on hours, breaks, and rest in Ontario.
✅Quick answer. Ontario's ESA caps the workday at 8 hours (or your established regular shift) and the work week at 48 hours, and going beyond those generally needs your written agreement. You are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours off every day, at least 8 hours off between shifts, at least 24 consecutive hours off each week, and a 30-minute eating period for every 5 hours worked. Coffee or rest breaks beyond the eating period are not required by law.
How many hours can your employer make you work?
The ESA sets a maximum of 8 hours a day, or the number of hours in your established regular workday if that is longer than 8, and a maximum of 48 hours a week. Your employer cannot simply require more. To exceed the daily maximum, the employer needs your written agreement, and to exceed 48 hours a week it needs your written agreement as well. These agreements have to be genuine, and you cannot be punished for declining, though the rules around them are specific.
Your right to rest
The ESA guarantees time off, not just limits on work:
- Daily rest: at least 11 consecutive hours off work each day.
- Between shifts: at least 8 hours off between shifts, unless the total time of both shifts is 13 hours or less, or you agree otherwise.
- Weekly rest: at least 24 consecutive hours off each work week, or at least 48 consecutive hours off in every two consecutive weeks.
Breaks and eating periods
You are entitled to at least a 30-minute eating period so that you do not work more than 5 consecutive hours without one. It can be split into two shorter periods by agreement, as long as they total 30 minutes. The eating period is generally unpaid unless your employer chooses to pay it or you are required to stay at your workstation. Notably, the ESA does not require coffee breaks or other rest breaks beyond the eating period, though many employers give them.
What about being sent home early or called in?
If you regularly work more than three hours a day but are sent home after working less than three hours, you are generally entitled to minimum reporting pay. That is covered separately in our guide to the three-hour rule. And if your hours are cut significantly and permanently, that can be a constructive dismissal rather than just a scheduling change.
What should you do if the rules are ignored?
- 1.Track your actual hours, including days you did not get proper rest between shifts.
- 2.Check whether you ever signed a written agreement to exceed the daily or weekly caps.
- 3.Raise it with your employer; some scheduling breaches are genuine oversights.
- 4.If it continues, it is an ESA matter you can pursue with the Ministry of Labour.
Hours and rest sit alongside your other ESA rights like overtime after 44 hours and public holiday pay. And if a change to your hours was really a way to push you out, see can your employer cut your hours and severance pay in Ontario.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours can an employer make you work in Ontario?
The ESA caps the workday at 8 hours (or your regular shift) and the work week at 48 hours. Exceeding those generally requires your written agreement, and you cannot be forced past them by a simple order.
How much rest am I entitled to between shifts?
At least 11 consecutive hours off each day and at least 8 hours off between shifts (unless the two shifts total 13 hours or less, or you agree otherwise), plus at least 24 consecutive hours off each week.
Am I entitled to breaks in Ontario?
You are entitled to a 30-minute eating period for every 5 consecutive hours of work. The ESA does not require coffee or rest breaks beyond that eating period, though many employers provide them.
Does my employer have to pay for my lunch break?
The 30-minute eating period is generally unpaid, unless your employer chooses to pay it or requires you to remain at your workstation during it.
Daniel Carter
Legal Writer, Mirza Law
Daniel Carter is a legal writer at Mirza Law in Toronto. He writes about layoffs, employment contracts, and the steps to take before you sign anything from your employer.
See all articles
