ESDC Acts and Regulations
The legislative mandate of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is to improve the standard of living and quality of life of all Canadians by promoting a highly skilled and mobile labour force and an efficient and inclusive labour market.
An Act is a means by which laws are made. Generally, Acts begin in draft form ("bills"
) and can originate either in the House of Commons or in the Senate. For a bill to become law, it must be approved by both the House of Commons and the Senate and by the Governor General of Canada. Regulations are the rules used to carry out the intent of statutes (Acts) enacted by the Parliament of Canada. They are instruments of legislative power and have the force of law. Regulations also contain more specific guidelines than Acts. These can include definitions, licensing requirements, performance specifications, exemptions, forms and other details.
What are we doing?
As a department, ESDC is responsible for the following:
- List of Acts
- List of Regulations
- ESDC’s Top 10 Most Accessed Regulations Explained
- Interpretation Policy - ESDC
- Service Standards
- Administrative Burden Baseline - ESDC
- Acts and Regulations - Labour Program
- Administrative Burden Baseline – Labour Program
- Interpretation Policy - Labour Program
- List of Frequently Asked Questions on Regulations - Labour Program
Forward Regulatory Plans
- Employment and Social Development Canada Forward Regulatory Plan
- Labour Program Forward Regulatory Plan
All of the government's Acts and Regulations can be found on the Justice Canada website.