Beginning Oct. 11, provincially regulated Ontario employers with 25 or more workers will have to inform employees of how they are being monitored.

It’s part of the Working for Workers ACT 2 legislation passed in April, which makes Ontario the first province to require electronic monitoring policies.

“Today, businesses have more ways than ever before to monitor where their workers are and what they are doing. Whether you are a delivery person being followed by GPS, a construction worker using a company phone, or an office worker logging in from home, you deserve to know if and how you are being tracked,” Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development said when the legislation was announced in February. “The future of work is changing, which is why our government is leading the country to ensure workers remain in the driver’s seat.”

Ontario employers with 25 or more workers will be required to have a written electronic monitoring policy in place for all their employees. The policy must contain information on whether the employer electronically monitors its workers, and if so, a description of how and in what circumstances the employer does this. In addition, the employer must disclose the purpose of collecting information through electronic monitoring.