Federal Employment Jurisdiction Checker

Routing guide

Answer four questions about the working relationship and the employer’s actual operation. The result is a likely starting point, not a legal decision.

1. Which working relationship best describes the situation?

2. What best describes the employer’s main undertaking?

3. Are there complex facts such as integrated operations, remote or mobile work across jurisdictions, or disputed coverage?

How the checker routes a workplace

The checker first looks at whether there is an employer-employee relationship. It then compares the employer’s actual undertaking with the federal industry list. Road, rail, marine and pipeline operations receive an extra border-crossing question.

Integrated operations, mobile or remote work across jurisdictions, Indigenous governance and businesses serving a federal undertaking are routed for official confirmation because the full legal and operational facts matter.

What the result means

Result	Meaning
Likely federal	Start with Part III of the Canada Labour Code and confirm the employer and role are covered.
Likely provincial or territorial	Start with the employment-standards authority for the place of work.
More information needed	The selected facts do not support a responsible routing result.
Official confirmation recommended	The scenario is too fact-sensitive for an automated answer.

Important limits

The checker does not issue a legal jurisdiction ruling.
It does not determine whether a worker is legally an employee or contractor.
It does not apply federal or provincial pay formulas.
A tribunal or court may reach a different result after reviewing evidence.

Official sources

For more context, read Which Employment Standards Jurisdiction Applies?.