Employment Records

This information sheet tells about how the Labour Standards Code requires employers to keep records about employees.

Employers must keep employment records to show that employees receive at least the benefits they are entitled to under the Labour Standards Code. These records must be kept at the employers' main place of business and must be kept for at least 3 years after the work has been performed. As well, employers must be prepared to show that all outstanding pay has been paid.

Employers must keep the following information:

• a list of the names of all employees, showing the employees' age, sex, and last known home address
• a record of the rates of wages, hours of work, vacation periods, leaves of absence, pay, and vacation pay each employee received
• a record of the date each employee began work and, if the employee no longer works for that employer, the last day he was employed
• a record of when employees were laid off or fired and the dates when those employees received notice of the end of their jobs
• a record of how much each employee has been paid
• the name and address of any person the employer paid to recruit the employee(s), the date and amount of the payment

Method of Keeping Records

Employers may keep employment records using any method from a manual system using a payroll book from a stationery store to a computerized bookkeeping/ payroll program. The records must be organized, easy to read, accurate, and up to date.

Pay Stubs

Employers must give employees pay stubs when paying their wages.

The pay stub must show

• the pay period the employee is being paid for
• the number of hours the employee is being paid for
• the wage rate (for example, $15.00 per hour)
• all the deductions made from the employee's pay
• how much the employee is being paid after deductions are made

Inspection of Records

Labour Standards officers can inspect an employer's records that in any way relate to the employment of employees and the recruitment of individuals, including foreign workers.

They also have the right to enter any work place at any reasonable time to inspect any place where people might work and to talk to any employee during or outside working hours. The Labour Standards Code also says that this can be done when the employer is not at the place of work.

Employers who fail to keep records or to keep them up to date and who fail to give information to the Director of Labour Standards or a Labour Standards officer may be guilty of a violation under the Labour Standards Code.