Ontario law does not define a specific number of hours that makes an employee full-time. Employers commonly treat 35, 37.5 or 40 hours per week as full-time, but the actual definition usually comes from your employment contract or workplace policy.
The Employment Standards Act (ESA) sets rules for maximum working hours, breaks, rest periods and overtime. But it does not say that working 30, 35 or 40 hours automatically makes you a full-time employee.
One number that often causes confusion is 44 hours. For most employees, overtime starts after 44 hours in a work week. That is an overtime threshold—not the legal definition of full-time employment.
On This Page:
- 1. How Many Hours Is Full-Time?
- 2. Maximum Working Hours
- 3. Full-Time Hours & Overtime
- 4. Breaks & Time Off Between Shifts
- 5. Full-Time vs. Part-Time Rights
- 6. What If Your Hours Are Cut?
How Many Hours Is Full-Time in Ontario?
There is no legally required number of weekly hours for full-time employment in Ontario.
Many employers use schedules such as:
- 35 hours per week
- 37.5 hours per week
- 40 hours per week
All three can be considered full-time.
Your employer should make your normal hours clear through your employment contract, offer letter, workplace policy or established schedule.
Is 40 hours a week full-time in Ontario?
Yes, a 40-hour week is commonly treated as full-time in Ontario, but the law does not require employers to use 40 hours as the definition.
A workplace can consider 37.5 hours full-time. Another can use 35 or 40.
Is 30 hours a week full-time?
It can be if your employer defines the position that way.
There is no ESA rule saying that 30 hours must be part-time or that an employee needs 40 hours to qualify as full-time.
Is 44 hours considered full-time?
Forty-four hours is not Ontario’s definition of full-time employment.
It is important because most employees become entitled to overtime pay in Ontario after working more than 44 hours in a work week.
What Is the Maximum Number of Hours You Can Work in Ontario?
For most employees, Ontario’s standard maximum is eight hours per day and 48 hours per week.
The daily rule works slightly differently if your employer has established a regular workday longer than eight hours. In that situation, the established regular workday becomes the normal daily limit.
For example, if your normal established shift is 10 hours, the ESA does not automatically limit you to eight.
Can you work more than eight hours a day?
Yes. You and your employer can agree electronically or in writing that you will work beyond the normal daily limit.
An agreement to work additional hours does not take away your overtime rights.
Can you work more than 48 hours a week?
Yes, but for most employees you must agree electronically or in writing to work beyond the normal 48-hour weekly limit.
Ontario employers no longer need approval from the Director of Employment Standards simply because an employee agrees to work more than 48 hours.
Do Full-Time Employees Get Overtime in Ontario?
Yes. Most full-time employees are entitled to overtime pay after working more than 44 hours in a work week.
Overtime is normally paid at 1.5 times your regular rate of pay.
For example, if you normally work 40 hours and then work six extra hours during the same work week, the first four additional hours bring you to 44. The final two hours are normally overtime hours.
Do you get overtime after eight hours in one day?
Not under the standard Ontario ESA rule. Ontario normally calculates overtime on a weekly basis after 44 hours, not simply because you worked more than eight hours on one day.
Your employment contract or another workplace agreement can provide a better daily overtime entitlement.
Do salaried full-time employees get overtime?
Being paid a salary does not automatically remove your right to overtime.
Some jobs are exempt from overtime because of the work performed, including certain managers and professionals. Your actual duties matter more than simply being called “salaried” or “management.”
See our full Ontario overtime pay guide for exemptions, averaging agreements and unpaid overtime claims.
What Breaks Do Full-Time Employees Get in Ontario?
Most employees must receive a 30-minute eating period before working more than five consecutive hours.
If you and your employer agree, that 30-minute meal period can be split into two shorter eating periods that together total at least 30 minutes within every five consecutive hours.
Meal breaks are normally unpaid unless your employment contract says otherwise. You must also be free from performing work during the meal period.
Are employers required to give coffee breaks?
No. Ontario’s ESA requires eating periods, but it does not create a general right to separate coffee or rest breaks.
Your employer can provide additional paid or unpaid breaks through a contract or workplace policy.
How much time must you get between shifts?
For most employees, Ontario requires:
- 11 consecutive hours off each day
- At least eight hours between shifts in most situations
- 24 consecutive hours off each work week or 48 consecutive hours off during every two consecutive work weeks
There are specific exceptions and agreements that can affect the between-shift rule, but the 11-hour daily rest rule can’t normally be waived simply by agreement.
See our Break Times in Ontario guide for more on your rights at work.
Do Full-Time Employees Have Different Rights From Part-Time Employees?
Your employer calling you full-time or part-time does not remove the minimum employment standards that apply to you.
Both full-time and part-time employees can have rights to:
- Minimum wage
- Overtime where the rules apply
- Vacation time and vacation pay
- Public holiday rights
- Protected leaves
- Termination notice or compensation
The amount of some payments can naturally differ because a full-time employee works and earns more hours.
Do full-time employees automatically get health benefits?
No. Ontario’s ESA does not automatically require every full-time employee to receive health, dental or pension benefits.
Benefit eligibility normally depends on your employment contract, workplace policy and the terms of the benefit plan.
If your employer promised benefits when you accepted the job, those terms can become part of your employment agreement.
Can your employer call you part-time even if you work 40 hours?
The label alone does not determine your ESA rights.
If you regularly work 40 hours a week, your employer can’t use a “part-time” label to avoid minimum wage, vacation, overtime or other legal obligations that apply to you.
However, whether you qualify for employer-provided benefits can depend on the actual wording of the benefit plan or employment agreement.
See our Part-Time Employee Rights in Ontario guide for more information.
Can Your Employer Cut Your Full-Time Hours?
Your employer can make reasonable scheduling changes, but a major permanent reduction in your hours can amount to constructive dismissal.
For example, reducing an established 40-hour schedule to 20 hours per week can affect:
- Your income
- Your full-time status
- Benefits
- Pension contributions
- Other important terms of your job
Whether the change crosses the legal line depends on your employment contract, your established schedule and how significant the reduction is.
Read our guide to changing work hours in Ontario if your employer is cutting or substantially changing your schedule.
What if your employer changes you from full-time to part-time?
A forced move from established full-time employment to substantially fewer part-time hours can be a fundamental change to your job.
Do not assume you have to accept it simply because the employer says business is slow.
At the same time, don’t immediately refuse to work or quit. Put your concern in writing and get advice about whether the change creates constructive dismissal rights.
What if you’re fired from a full-time job?
Full-time employees can be entitled to both ESA minimum termination rights and much greater common-law severance.
Your full entitlement can depend on your employment contract, age, position, length of service and the availability of similar employment.
If you are terminated, don’t sign a release before having your full severance package reviewed—you may be owed as much as 24 months’ pay.
Full-Time Hours Ontario FAQs
Is 35 hours a week full-time in Ontario?
It can be. Ontario law does not set a minimum weekly number of hours for full-time status. An employer can define a 35-hour position as full-time.
Is 37.5 hours full-time in Ontario?
Yes, many Ontario employers treat 37.5 hours per week as full-time. It is a workplace definition rather than a legal ESA threshold.
Is 40 hours per week the legal maximum?
No. Forty hours is a common full-time schedule, but Ontario’s normal weekly hours-of-work limit for most employees is 48 hours. Overtime usually begins after 44 hours.
Can your employer make you work 50 hours a week?
For most employees, working beyond 48 hours requires an electronic or written agreement. Overtime requirements still apply even when you agree to work additional hours.
Do full-time employees get more severance than part-time employees?
Full-time status does not create a separate severance formula. However, your normal earnings form part of the value of your severance package, so a full-time employee’s weekly compensation will usually be higher than that of someone working fewer hours at the same rate.
Get Help With a Full-Time Hours Problem
The words “full-time” do not create a fixed legal schedule in Ontario. What matters is the employment arrangement you agreed to and whether your employer follows Ontario’s hours, overtime and employment-contract rules.
Samfiru Tumarkin LLP helps non-unionized Ontario employees deal with major reductions in hours, unpaid overtime, changes from full-time to part-time, constructive dismissal and termination.
If your hours have been substantially reduced or your employment has ended, our employment lawyers can protect your rights and secure the full severance pay and compensation you are legally entitled to receive.