# Ontario just made HR ghosting illegal. Companies now face $100,000 fines.

**[TRUE STORY]** — by Regulatory desk · via Economic Times

Beginning January 1, 2026, employers in Ontario, Canada, with 25 or more employees must respond to every interviewed candidate within 45 days — hired, rejected, or still under consideration. The world's first fully enacted anti-ghosting law also targets ghost job postings, requiring companies to disclose whether a role is actively being recruited and whether AI is used in screening. Non-compliance carries fines of up to $100,000 CAD (approximately $72,500 USD). The legislation follows Greenhouse data showing 50% of job seekers report being ghosted after interviews, and 17% of all Q2 2025 listings were for positions companies never intended to fill. New Jersey and California have proposed similar bills, but Ontario is first across the finish line.

*Source: [Economic Times · HR policy coverage](https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace-4-0/recruitment/ontario-in-canada-to-ban-hr-ghosting-companies-must-respond-to-job-applicants-within-45-days-of-an-interview/123213414)*
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