There may not be any laws against ghosting in the dating realm, but some governments are cracking down on the phenomenon in hiring.
As of Jan. 1, 2026 some companies in Ontario, Canada, will be required to inform job applicants about the status of their candidacy within 45 days of a job interview, whether a decision has been made or not, effectively banning the practice of businesses ghosting candidates during the hiring process.
The rule applies to companies with at least 25 employees and also seeks to eliminate the posting of ghost jobs, where companies post job ads for roles they’re not actively hiring for. Under the law, businesses will be required to disclose whether a vacancy is actively being filled, as well as if they’re using artificial intelligence to screen and select candidates.
The law “makes clear that if someone applies to your company and takes the time to interview, that you owe them a clear response and a decision,” says Bonnie Dilber, a recruiting leader at software company Zapier.
“That feels like a minimum expectation,” she tells CNBC Make It. “People who apply to jobs deserve to understand what’s happening behind the scenes.”
