We help Canadian businesses with HR compliance & policy management

Staying compliant is an eternal challenge for Canadian businesses. Established in 1995, First Reference is the leading solution provider of up-to-date, practical, and authoritative Canadian HR, payroll, internal controls compliance, and policy management platforms. These products and services are essential to ensuring organizations meet their legal obligations and duty of care.

25+
YEARS OF EXPERTISE
3,000
COMPANIES HELPED
4,000
RESOURCES AVAILABLE
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First Reference provides the HR compliance and policy management resources Canadian businesses need

No one should have to navigate the world of HR compliance and policy management alone, especially when a misstep could mean trouble for any organization.

First Reference is dedicated to providing comprehensive, reliable, and user-friendly resources for Canadian businesses that help them stay compliant, informed, and up-to-date on employment and payroll law.

Why we want to help

Federal and provincial legislation for Canadian business is constantly changing. Employers have to pay close attention to legal requirements, as well as their own practices and policies. And the cost for not doing so can be high.

Luckily, First Reference has over 25 years of expertise to offer. Our solutions are more than compliance and HR management tools—they give employers the commentary, context, and capabilities they need to stay up-to-date and ahead of the curve. 

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How First Reference helps

Canadian businesses and non-profits depend on First Reference solutions to:

How First Reference helps
Find quick solutions to all their business needs, including human resources
Find quick solutions to all their business needs, including human resources
Access thousands of sample policies, procedures, forms, checklists, and more
Access thousands of sample policies, procedures, forms, checklists, and more
Get answers to their most pressing compliance questions anytime using our AI-powered chat backed by over 25 years of data
Get answers to their most pressing compliance questions anytime using our AI-powered chat backed by over 25 years of data
Access thousands of sample policies, procedures, forms, checklists, and more
Access thousands of sample policies, procedures, forms, checklists, and more
Build sound internal control and management systems for HR, finance and accounting, not-for-profit, information and technology, and operations and marketing
Build sound internal control and management systems for HR, finance and accounting, not-for-profit, information and technology, and operations and marketing
Find the right ready-to-use policies for their province
Find the right ready-to-use policies for their province
Stay current and knowledgeable about responsibilities and obligations to minimize personnel problems and government fines and penalties
Stay current and knowledgeable about responsibilities and obligations to minimize personnel problems and government fines and penalties
Use PolicyPro® and The Human Resources Advisor™ to manage better HR and payroll policies and practices for administrative, due diligence, and records retention purposes
Use PolicyPro® and The Human Resources Advisor™ to manage better HR and payroll policies and practices for administrative, due diligence, and records retention purposes

Who We Are

Editorial Team

No matter if you’re in the service industry, retail, construction, restaurant and hospitality, tech or nonprofit, our editorial team understands the unique challenges business owners and their management teams face every day and can offer tailored compliance solutions.

If you ask our clients what sets us apart, they are likely to talk about the level of experience and expertise of our highly skilled and qualified team of legal, HR and risk management specialists. Our Leadership Team is experienced in all facets of human resource, policy management and internal controls and our commitment to best practices is second to none.

Let us support your team with effective staff management information, solutions and tools.

Our Partners

First Reference has developed strategic relationships with companies that enhance our services for the benefit of our mutual clients.