ESA · Provincial Law · PIPEDA

Canadian Employment Contracts
Signed Digitally

ESA-compliant employment contracts for Ontario, BC, Alberta, and other provinces — signed digitally before your new hire's first day.

Free plan available · No credit card required · ESIGN Act compliant

ESA
Compliant templates
Provincial
Law variants
PIPEDA
Compliant
ECA
Compliant
Key Features

Everything You Need

Built-in features that save time and close deals faster.

CA Templates

Provincial ESA-Compliant Employment Templates

Employment agreements aligned with Employment Standards Act minimums for Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and other provinces — full-time, part-time, and fixed-term contracts.

  • Ontario ESA — Minimum wages, overtime, notice, and ESA Part V entitlements.
  • BC Employment Standards — BC ESA minimums for wages, overtime, and termination.
  • Alberta ESA — Alberta Employment Standards Code minimum entitlements.

Provincial ESA-Compliant Employment Templates

Ontario ESA, BC Employment Standards Act, and Alberta ESA compliant templates.

Included on all plans
CA HR Onboarding

Canadian Employee Onboarding Package

Employment agreement, TD1 federal and provincial tax acknowledgement, ROE consent, direct deposit authorisation, and workplace policies — all signed digitally before day one.

  • TD1 acknowledgement — Federal and provincial Personal Tax Credits Return acknowledgement.
  • Direct deposit — Payroll direct deposit authorisation form.
  • Workplace policies — Health and safety, harassment, and code of conduct sign-offs.

Canadian Employee Onboarding Package

Complete Canadian onboarding: contract, TD1, direct deposit, and policies.

Included on all plans
CA Legal Validity

Legally Valid Under Provincial Electronic Commerce Acts

Canadian employment contracts executed via Zignature are legally binding under provincial Electronic Commerce Acts. The audit trail provides execution evidence for ESA and labour tribunal proceedings.

  • ECA compliance — E-signed contracts valid under provincial Electronic Commerce Acts.
  • Labour tribunal evidence — Audit trail evidence for labour tribunal or arbitration.
  • Timestamp — Signing date — critical for notice period and start date disputes.

Legally Valid Under Provincial Electronic Commerce Acts

Provincial ECA compliant employment contracts with tribunal-ready audit evidence.

Included on all plans
Use Cases

Works for Every Scenario

From simple agreements to complex multi-party workflows.

How It Works

Up and Running in Minutes

No training required. Send your first document today.

1

Select provincial employment template

Ontario, BC, Alberta, or other province template with ESA minimums.

2

Customise for the employee

Role, salary, hours, leave, and notice period.

3

Send before start date

New hire signs digitally before first day.

4

Archive with HR records

Signed contract stored with audit trail.

Start Signing in Canada Today

Free trial — no credit card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know.

Are electronic employment contracts legally binding in Canada?

Yes. Electronic employment contracts are binding under provincial Electronic Commerce Acts. The same contract formation rules apply — offer, acceptance, consideration — and minimum ESA standards must be met.

What are the minimum notice requirements in Canadian employment contracts?

Notice requirements vary by province and length of service. Ontario ESA: 1 week per year (max 8 weeks statutory). British Columbia: 1-8 weeks depending on service. Alberta: 1-8 weeks depending on service. Common law notice entitlements typically exceed ESA minimums.

Do Canadian employment contracts need to address overtime provisions?

Yes. Employment contracts should address overtime — whether the employee is overtime-exempt (e.g., management) or entitled to ESA overtime pay. Province-specific thresholds apply (Ontario: 44 hours/week, BC: 40 hours, Alberta: 44 hours).

Can Canadian employers in Quebec use French-language employment contracts?

Yes. Quebec's Charter of the French Language (Bill 96) requires that employment contracts offered to Quebec employees be in French — though an English version may also be provided. Zignature supports French-language templates for Quebec operations.

Is PIPEDA consent required for electronic employment contracts?

Employee personal information in employment contracts is subject to PIPEDA. While the 'employee exemption' in PIPEDA covers most HR personal information, employers should ensure privacy practices for e-signature data collection are disclosed.

How does Zignature handle employment contracts across multiple Canadian provinces?

Configure province-specific templates for each province where you hire. Zignature's template selection can be automated based on the employee's province of work from your HRIS data — ensuring the correct provincial ESA terms apply.