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From Kickoff to Contracts: FIFA Hiring Done Right
Date: January 21, 2026
This year, Toronto is among the host cities preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ (World Cup) and businesses are preparing to open their doors to fans from across the world.
This increased business comes with associated workforce planning considerations. As employers expand their workforce in anticipation, it’s important to be mindful that event-driven work does not suspend the applicability of employment standards.
Hiring and Job Posting Requirements
Scaling your business may require that you advertise for new positions. Effective January 1, 2026, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must comply with the following changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA):
- employers intending to publicly advertise for a job must ensure compliance with job posting requirements with respect to: compensation disclosure, use of artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants, and whether the posting is for an existing vacancy
- employers are prohibited from requiring Canadian work experience in any publicly advertised job posting or associated application
- interviewed candidates must be notified about whether a hiring decision has been made within 45 days of their interview (or final interview, as applicable)
Choosing the Appropriate Contractual Relationship
As the World Cup arrives, recruitment may shift from routine to rapid. Proper classification is crucial to ensure that workers are provided their entitlements under applicable legislation, and to safeguard your organization from legal risk.
Misclassification of employees commonly occurs when businesses seek to engage workers for time-limited projects. This can result in significant legal liabilities including unintended violations of the ESA, civil suits (including class actions), penalties or fines, or owed wages.
An individual may still be an employee even if the parties contractually agree otherwise. Organizations seeking to expand their workforce by engaging volunteers, employees, or independent contractors, are reminded to carefully examine the nature of the parties’ working relationship so that the appropriate classification (and contract) is chosen.
Determining the correct status is contextual and fact-specific. Consider the following:
- the level of control your organization has over the worker
- the degree of financial risk taken by the worker
- the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss
- whether the worker is supplying their own tools or equipment
- independent business activity
- overall financial independence
Ensuring Compliance with Employment Standards
As you scale up, it is important to ensure your employment contracts, termination provisions and policies/procedures are enforceable and compliant with the ESA. In Ontario, subject to certain exceptions, businesses with at least 25 employees must provide the following information to employees before their first day of work (or as soon as reasonably possible):
- the employer’s legal name and any operating or business name (if different), and contact information
- where it is anticipated that the employee will initially perform work
- the starting hourly or other wage rate or commission
- the pay period and pay day established in accordance with legislation
- the anticipated hours of work
FIFA-Invited Staff
The federal government has announced a temporary policy change providing certain work permit exemptions to select foreign nationals coming to Canada to perform time-limited work associated with the 2026 FIFA Congress and World Cup. All exemptions granted under the policy will continue to apply until July 31, 2026, or upon its revocation.
An exemption may be granted if:
- the individual applied for a temporary resident visa and requested to enter and depart Canada between December 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, or is seeking to enter and depart Canada between December 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026
- the individual holds a letter of invitation from FIFA which states: the individual is an employee of FIFA (or one of its affiliates), or holds a contract for goods and services with FIFA (or one of its affiliates), or has been sub-contracted by FIFA (or one of its affiliates)
- the FIFA invitation must state the individual will be performing work for a period of time between the dates of December 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, that is directly related to, and critically supports, an official FIFA-organized event
Other workers that are performing time-limited work with your organization, who do not qualify for the exemption, may still require a work permit to be engaged by your company.
When was the last time your hiring policies & procedures, employment contracts and termination provisions were reviewed?
While the World Cup ends on July 19, 2026, the associated employment law obligations as a result of expanding your operations are constant.
Preparing in advance to ensure your job advertisements and contracts meet legislative requirements, proper workforce classification, and ongoing employment standards compliance is crucial to ensure your company does not fall offside the law.
For businesses seeking to expand their workforce in anticipation of the World Cup, or for those with any questions, please contact Kayley C. Leon at 416.864.7028.
The article in this client update provides general information and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. This publication is copyrighted by Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP and may not be photocopied or reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the express permission of Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP. ©