Challenge your students to answer health and safety and employment standards questions by searching (and learning from) the Ministry of Labour’s website and resources at www.ontario.ca/labour. This is a great assignment for career studies, co-op, and guidance programs, or to meet the needs of the students you work with.
Instructions: Use this answer sheet to score the quiz completed by students. Feel free to add your own questions to these to suit the needs of your class!
Note: Answers are in bold and links to answers are provided under each question.
1. What kind of workers are not covered by the Employment Standards Act ? (Circle all that apply) [1 mark]
Answers can be found at www.ontario.ca/ESAareyoucovered
2. What is the general hourly minimum wage? List three (3) exceptions to this wage rate: [1 mark]
The general minimum wage is $11.25/hour effective October 1, 2015
- students under 18 working 28 hours per week or less, or working during a school break or summer holiday
- employees who serve liquor
- homeworkers
Answers can be found at: www.Ontario.ca/minimumwage
3. List three (3) of the many rights and duties that workers have under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. [3 marks]
Answers can be found at: www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/ohsa/ohsag_irs.php
4. Enter the minimum age for the following jobs: [5 marks]
Answers can be found at: www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/min_age.php
5. After working seven (7) hours without a break, Joseph was offered an unpaid lunch break (eating period) of 20 minutes. List two (2) ways this situation is against the rules about breaks under the Employment Standards Act. [ 2 marks]
Answers can be found at: www.Ontario.ca/hoursofwork
6. Name four (4) general methods of controlling exposure to health hazards: [4 marks]
Answers can be found at: www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/faqs/hazards.php
7. Who can be required to work on public holidays (name four (4) occupations), and what should they be paid? [5 marks]
Employees in hotels, motels, tourist resorts, restaurants, taverns, hospitals, and nursing homes or a continuous operation (one which operates 24 hours a day and does not close or shut down more than once in each seven day period) may be required to work if the public holiday falls on a day that would otherwise be a regular working day for that employee and the employee is not on vacation.
They should be paid either their regular rate for the hours worked on the public holiday, plus a substitute day off work with public holiday pay, or public holiday pay plus premium pay for each hour worked during the holiday.Answers can be found at: www.Ontario.ca/publicholidays
8. Fill in the blanks after each question: [3 marks]
Answers can be found at: www.ontario.ca/overtime
9. Brad makes $100 per week, and has been working at a restaurant for two (2) years. His boss informs him that, although he is a good employee, he is no longer needed, and will be permanently laid off. How much termination pay, or how much notice, should Brad receive? [1 mark]
$200 or two weeks notice
Answers can be found at: www.Ontario.ca/terminationofemployment
10. Omar is 20 years old and works full-time at a factory making $12.00 per hour. One day, his boss sends him home after he has worked only two (2) hours. According to the minimum wage “three (3) hour rule,” how much should Omar be paid? (Note: This answer will change when the minimum wage rate increases. ) [ 2 marks]
Omar must be paid whichever of the following amounts is greater: the two hours worked at his regular hourly rate ($12.00/hour x 2 hours =$24.00) or three hours at the current minimum wage ($11.25/hour x 3 hours = $33.75). Omar is therefore entitled to $33.75.
Note: This answer will change when the minimum wage rate increases.
Answers can be found at: www.Ontario.ca/minimumwage
TOTAL SCORE: ___ out of 30