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SALARY PAYMENT IN Canadian Dollar (CAD, $)

CONTRACT LANGUAGES French / English

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PAYROLL CYCLE Monthly

TIME TO HIRE 12 hours
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Canada

Simple, compliant hiring with Horizons PEO

Hire Employees in Canada - Overview

Canada has a thriving economy, with strong real growth forecasts for 2022 (3.8 percent) and 2023 (2.6 percent). With a well-educated and highly skilled professional workforce, and business-friendly laws and regulations, Canada is an ideal location for hiring international employees.

Closely connected to both European and other North American markets, many businesses find that Canada is the ideal launchpad for their North American expansion.

Facts & Stats

Population

38.232M (Labor Force 21 million)

Capital City

Ottawa

Languages Spoken

English and French

Currency

Canadian Dollars (CAD$)

GDP per capita

$52,022

Ease of Doing Business

23rd in the world

Minimum Wage

CAD$17.30/hour

Average Wage

CAD1,050/Month

Paid Leave

3-4 weeks

Canada: Business Environment

Business outlook

Despite some instances of social unrest related to containment measures, the Canadian economy has largely recovered from the Covid19 crisis. In 2021 Canada maintained its position as one of the top 10 economies in the world, ranking 9th largest by GDP.

The OECD indicates Canada’s real GDP will grow by 3.8% in 2022, and 2.6% through 2023. As a major exporter of natural resources, including; natural gas, crude oil, coal, minerals, and timber the war in Ukraine may see the above growth estimates revised. It should be noted, however, that increasing housing costs, capacity pressures and issues with global supply continue to drive inflation and the cost of living in Canada.

What are the main differences between the standard contract and the alternative contract in Canada?

Open-ended employment contracts are the most common type of contract in Canada. They offer ongoing employment with no fixed end date, and if the employer wishes to end the contract they will need to terminate the employment. Fixed-term contracts are also available, and will end on a specified date in the contract.

Which Canada employment contract is right for me?

The best type of employment contract depends on the job role and specific circumstances. For the vast majority of roles, an open-ended contract is the most suitable. however, there are some circumstances where an alternative like a temporary contract may be more suitable.

Business regulation

Like other advanced economies, Canada has strong labor laws protecting both the employee and the employer. Canada’s labor laws are complicated by differences in legislation at the federal and provincial levels.

Regardless of provincial variations, employers must meet certain Minimum Employment Rights when hiring in Canada. As an employer, it’s crucial that you have a firm grasp of your obligations before making any hiring decisions.

Business culture

Sharing a 9,000km border with the U.S. has led to the development of close cultural ties with the world’s largest economy. Canada’s corporate culture also shares similarities with British and, to a lesser extent, French customs. Doing business in Canada is straightforward, especially for those organizations already familiar with American and Northern European business customs.

A handshake is the go-to business greeting and diversity and inclusion are becoming increasingly important concerns for decision makers. Equalities legislation (potentially both Provincial and Federal) will have implications for the selection of candidates and the interview process – see below.

Recruiting employees in Canada

Recruiting employees in Canada – Overview

Recruitment is primarily completed online in Canada. Jobs portals such as Robert Half, Indeed and Workopolis as well as social media platforms such as LinkedIn are popular.

Differences in provincial labor laws complicate the process. For an in-depth breakdown see the Complete Guide to Labor & Employment Laws in Canada.

To simplify the process and mitigate risk, many companies looking to hire employees in Canada opt to contract a global PEO or EoR. Combining in-country knowledge and extensive experience of international recruitment, global PEOs ensure full compliance with local tax and employment laws. As the industry leader, Horizons offer a range of strategic global recruitment services to help businesses meet their objectives whilst reducing hiring costs.

Most important recruitment tools in Canada

Robert Half
https://www.roberthalf.ca/en
Robert Half is a global human resource consulting firm with offices in all of Canada’s major cities. The service offering is focused around the hiring of highly-skilled business professionals from early to mid-career up to the executive level.

Indeed
https://ca.indeed.com
Recognized as the world’s largest job hiring platform, Indeed is the #1 hiring platform in Canada. The platform caters to the full spectrum of industries and attracts job seekers from all experience levels.

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com
The professional networking platform LinkedIn is used widely across Canada. Of the 20M Canadian users, 54% of users fall within the 25-34 age bracket.

Interviewing employees in Canada

Interviewing employees in Canada – Overview

Although later stage interviews tend to be conducted in-person, the Covid19 pandemic has led to a marked increase in job interviews being completed entirely online.

The format of the interview will vary, usually depending on the level or complexity of the role. Regardless of language, interviews generally follow a similar pattern across all of Canada. As in the US and Europe, punctuality and presentation, both in terms of attire and non-verbal communication are important aspects in a Canadian job interview. The need for care in the recruitment process, in terms of local legislation and cultural norms, is another reason to consider the services of a PEO.

Can I ask the candidate’s previous salary in Canada?

At the time of writing, it is legal in Canada to ask candidates about their current salary and salary history.

It is likely, however, that provincial governments across Canada and the Canadian federal government will introduce legislation that prohibits employers from asking candidates about their salary history. Such legislation has already been enacted in cities and states in Canada’s neighbor to the south.

What is the typical salary increase at a new job in Canada?

In 2022, companies are offering salary increases between 3 to 5%. Job platform Indeed reports that, in 2022 a raise of 10% for employees starting a new role is not uncommon.

Onboarding employees in Canada

Onboarding employees in Canada – Overview

Once the most suitably qualified candidates have been identified & selected, it’s crucial that the hiring company ensures their onboarding process is fully compliant.

The specific onboarding process will vary from organization to organization but the following actions are recommended when onboarding new hires in Canada; verify and commit any employee personal information to secure systems for safeguarding; provide new hires with materials they need to perform the job; deliver a company orientation and any required training to get new hires up-to-speed.

Best remote working tools to use in Canada

Remote working is common in Canada and increasingly, hybrid working models are becoming an employee benefit. Furthermore, a 2021 survey of Canadian employers found that 76% of companies are open to hiring fully remote employees. Canadian employers are using the following remote working tools to manage remote teams:

Slack – the instant messaging program designed specifically for the workplace was founded in Vancouver, BC. “Slack” is an acronym that stands for ‘Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge’.
Microsoft Teams – a collaboration tool that provides users with the ability to host audio and video conferences and syncs with Microsoft Office 365 applications.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) – VPNs are used to establish secure connections between the business/office network and the devices used by remote workers.

Holiday season in Canada — 2024

Holiday Schedule in Canada [2024]

National and provincial holidays in Canada in 2024 include:

Date	Holiday name
1 Jan., 2024	New Year’s Day
19 Feb., 2024	Islander Day (PEI)
19 Feb., 2024	Louis Riel Day (MB)
19 Feb., 2024	Heritage Day (NS)
19 Feb., 2024	Family Day (BC, AB, SK, ON, NB)
29 Mar., 2024	Good Friday (National except for QC)
1 Apr., 2024	Easter Monday (QC)
20 May, 2024	Victoria Day (National except for NB, NS, NL)
21 Jun., 2024	Aboriginal Day (NWT)
24 Jun., 2024	St. Jean Baptiste Day (QC)
1 Jul., 2024	Canada Day
5 Aug., 2024	Civic Holiday (AB, BC, SK, ON, NB, NU)
2 Sept., 2024	Labor Day
14 Oct., 2024	Thanksgiving (National except for NB, NS, NL)
11 Nov., 2024	Remembrance Day (National except for MB, ON, QC, NS)
25 Dec., 2024	Christmas Day
26 Dec., 2024	Boxing Day (ON)

What is the typical salary increase employees in Canada expect?

Canadian employees typically expect salary increases that match or exceed the rate of inflation.

Where the employee is located in Canada is also a factor with employees located in the Ottawa-Montreal-Toronto triangle, an area of concentrated wealth where living costs are higher than other parts of the country, likely to expect comparatively higher salary increases.

FAQs

Should I hire freelancers or employees in Canada?

Can I hire foreigners in Canada?

How do I open a Canada subsidiary?

How do I hire employees in Canada?

Hiring in Canada, Made Easy

Your business can easily hire employees in Canada without opening a local entity. We handle local employment law, complex tax regulations, and international payroll in 180+ countries worldwide. All you need to do is focus on your business.

Success stories from businesses we’ve helped enter and grow in new markets.

Client Testimonials

"As a seed-stage, London-based startup, we were initially hesitant to expand internationally due to the administrative workload involved. Horizons took the headache out of the process, allowing us to hire a team of software engineers in Germany."

Gabor SzedlakCo-founder & COO at MindLabs (UK)

"I truly appreciated the thoroughness and the professionalism of Horizons personnel while we hired internationally with them. They were knowledgable on all subject matters pertaining to international employment."

Gary PaskyVP Software Development, PICS ITech (USA)

"On deciding to begin commercial activities in Asia Pacific, we needed a provider to handle the employment and remuneration of our workforce. With Horizons the result was fast, efficient, and fit-for-purpose. We recommend Horizons as an EOR provider.”

Chris MorrellManaging Director, Schaeffler Group (Germany)

"The collaboration with the Horizons team is excellent. Both our local employee as well as our HQ in Germany are more than pleased with the support provided and the simplicity of the service. We can highly recommend the Horizons solution to anyone."

Christoph EngelbertCo-Founder & CTO, Clevabit (Germany)

"We needed an EOR that could provide expert support for payroll in APAC. We are pleased with Horizons’ expertise and the fact that they are flexible, responsive, and easily accessible from Belgium. They were able to provide services within the short timeline we required."

Katia FlamandHuman Resources, Devian Chemicals (Belgium)

hire employees in

Canada,
made easy

Simple, compliant hiring with Horizons PEO