Scale-Up Roadmap & Hiring Plan
Revenue milestones that trigger each next hire, new location, product line or ad budget increase — with Ontario employment obligations at each stage.
Written against
- · Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Ontario)
- · Occupational Health and Safety Act
- · Ontario Human Rights Code
- · Working for Workers Acts — job posting and policy requirements
- · Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997
1. Milestone triggers
| Trigger | Action | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Owner working >55 hrs/wk | First part-time hire | Payroll setup, WSIB |
| Gross profit covers a wage + 30% | Make the hire | Do not hire from revenue, hire from margin |
| 3 months of buffer held | Increase ad budget 20% | Track incremental ROAS |
| Capacity above 85% for 8 weeks | Second location or equipment | Lease and zoning |
| 5+ regular employees | Health and safety representative required | OHSA |
| 20+ regular employees | Joint health and safety committee | OHSA |
| 25+ employees on Jan 1 | Disconnecting-from-work and electronic monitoring policies | 30-day deadline |
| 100+ employees | Pay equity and accessibility reporting duties | AODA / Pay Equity Act |
2. Hiring order for most small businesses
- · 1. Delivery help (does the work you sell)
- · 2. Admin / customer service (protects your time)
- · 3. Marketing or sales (grows demand)
- · 4. Supervisor / manager (removes you from scheduling)
- · 5. Finance or bookkeeping support
3. Cost of an Ontario employee
- · Base wage at or above current Ontario minimum wage
- · Employer CPP and EI contributions
- · Vacation pay: 4% under five years, 6% at five years or more
- · Public holiday pay
- · WSIB premium at your rate group
- · Employer Health Tax above the exemption
- · Budget roughly 15–20% above gross wages for statutory costs, before benefits
4. Compliant hiring process
- · Job posting with a compensation range where required by current Ontario job-posting rules — verify the requirements in force before posting
- · Interview questions restricted to the essential duties; no questions touching protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code
- · Written offer meeting or exceeding ESA minimums, including a lawful termination clause
- · Day-one OHSA awareness training and policy acknowledgements
- · Accommodation offered proactively throughout recruitment
5. Systems before people
- · Document the role's SOPs before you post it — you are hiring for a system, not a saviour
- · Define three success metrics for the role at 30, 60 and 90 days
- · Name the person accountable for training and the hours it will take
- · Set the review and wage-adjustment date in writing at hire
This template is provided for general business use and reflects Ontario and federal Canadian requirements as commonly applied. It is not legal, tax or clinical advice. Confirm current requirements with Ontario.ca, your local public health unit or municipality, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the CRA, WSIB and your professional regulator, and have high-risk documents reviewed by a licensed Ontario lawyer or accountant before use.