Employment Standards Legislation in Canada
This documentation deals with private sector minimum employment standards in Canada. It sets out the federal, provincial and territorial legislative provisions dealing with the minimum age for employment, hours of work and overtime pay, minimum wages, equal pay, the weekly rest-day, general holidays with pay, annual vacations with pay, parental leave and individual and group terminations of employment. An analytical text provides readers with an overview of the topics. In most cases, tables accompany these texts and provide specific information concerning the provisions which exist in each Canadian jurisdiction.
This documentation is not intended to be a substitute for the relevant statutes themselves. Users are reminded that it is prepared for convenience only and that as such, it has no official sanction. Users are therefore advised to consult the texts of the statutes whose summary is available here.
Please click here for any comments or suggestions regarding the labour law information available on this site.
Recent and historic changes to employment standards legislation
Jurisdiction of the federal government and the provinces/territories
Minimum Age For Employment - Child Labour Legislation (last updated April 2004) (PDF Document, 80 kb)
Database on Minimum Wages (updated on an ongoing basis)
Wage Deductions Permitted for Board and Lodging (last updated January 2006)
- Specific Requirements Respecting Hours of Work, Overtime, Meal and Other Breaks (last updated January 2006) (PDF Document, 192 kb)
- Equal Pay Legislation in Canada by Jurisdiction (last updated May 2006) (PDF Document, 45 kb)
- Pay Equity Legislation in Canada by Jurisdiction (last updated July 2006) (PDF Document, 43 kb)
- Sunday Closing or Opening of Retail Establishments (last updated June 2006) (PDF Document, 20 kb)
- Weekly Days of Rest and Sunday Work (last updated June 2006) (PDF Document, 29 kb)
- Statutory Holidays: Synoptic Table (last updated November 2001)
- Minimum Requirements for Annual Vacations with Pay (last updated April 2006) (PDF Document, 32 kb)
- Length of Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave (last updated January 2006)
- Leave for Parental Reasons (last updated February 2006) (PDF Document, 21 kb)
- Compassionate Care Leave (last updated May 2006)(PDF Document, 53 kb)
- Notice of Individual Termination of Employment (last updated March 2005)
- Notice of Group Termination of Employment (last updated November 2005) (PDF Document)
Mandatory Retirement (last updated June 2006)
Whistleblower Protection (last updated July 2005) (PDF Document)