What Is Ghosting? (And What Ontario Actually Did About It)

Ghosting is when an employer stops communicating with a candidate — no rejection, no update, no closure. You apply, maybe you interview, then nothing.

It's common. One Indeed report found 77% of Canadian job seekers say they've experienced it.

Ontario made part of it illegal

As of January 1, 2026, Ontario employers with 25+ employees must tell candidates whether they got the job within 45 days of their final interview. Miss that window, and the fine can reach $100,000.

That's the closest thing to an official "definition" — not a dictionary entry, but a legal deadline.

What it doesn't cover

- Companies with fewer than 25 employees

- Silence before a final interview — the stage where most ghosting actually happens

- Any obligation to explain why

So most of the silence you'll run into still isn't covered. The law closes one gap, not the whole problem.

Ghosting vs. ghost jobs

Two different things, often confused:

- Ghosting — an employer stops responding to a real candidate

- Ghost jobs — a posting for a role that was never really open

Ontario is also pushing employers to disclose which postings are genuine. Same root issue: no transparency, either way.

Why we built Bodash

The law only reaches the last step of the process. Everything before that — the weeks of silence after you hit submit — still isn't anyone's legal obligation to explain.

That's the gap Bodash fills. Track your applications, see where they actually stand, and see how your experience compares to everyone else applying to the same roles. The silence becomes data instead of a mystery.

We are a job tracker. Our mission is to make the application to hire process visible for all applicants. We can do it together.

— The Bodash Team

Start tracking your applications at bodash.co