Tools to Support Qualitative Research on Employment Standards Act (ESA) Claims

Abstract

Solidarity Place Worker Education Centre (Solidarity Place) is an organization that supports people in understanding and asserting their workplace rights, particularly newcomers to Canada, young workers, and those in precarious or unstable employment. Through its day-to-day programming, the organization regularly assists individuals navigating ESA claims. Over time, Solidarity Place identified a need for more experience-based information about how workers move through the claims process. This kind of insight is critical for advocacy, funding applications, and improving educational programming. The present study was initiated in response to that need and builds on an earlier quantitative work completed by the Research Shop in Summer 2025, which examined the rate, patterns and trends in ESA claims across Ontario. The central research question guiding this project was: How do workers experience the process of filing and navigating an Employment Standards Act (ESA) claim in Ontario?