Employment standards
To ensure that employees are treated fairly, the federal and provincial governments have established employment standards regarding:
- Minimum wage
- Annual vacations and other types of leave
- Public (statutory) holidays
- Hours of work, including standard hours, overtime and emergency requirements
Certain industries fall under federal regulations, while others must comply with provincial or territorial employment standards. If your employees are unionized, there may be additional standards set out in their collective agreement that go above and beyond what is required by law.
On this page:
General information on employment standards
These documents provide general information on all aspects of labour standards.
- Provincial and Territorial Ministries of Labour
If your business is not federally regulated, you must comply with labour standards specified by your provincial or territorial government.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Employers' Council
Get support on employer issues such as labour legislation, workers' compensation, occupational health and safety, regulations and standards.
- Labour Relations Agency (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Get information on labour standards, assistance with resolving workplace issues or help with collective agreements.
- Labour Relations Agency — Frequently Asked Questions (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Find labour standards information for Newfoundland and Labrador, including minimum wages, deductions, working hours, vacation, and benefits.
- Employment Standards (New Brunswick)
Find out about employment rules, such as minimum wage, overtime pay, vacations with pay and sick leave.
- Guide to the Labour Standards Code of Nova Scotia
Read this plain language version of the Labour Standards Code to learn about everything from overtime rules to notice requirements when an employee quits.
- Employment rights
You and your employees have rights under Nova Scotia's Labour Standards Code. Learn the details.
- Human resources (Quebec) in French only
Keep informed of your rights and responsibilities when hiring and managing employees, as well as when their employment ends.
- Commission des normes du travail du Québec
If you are a business owner, you must familiarize yourself with and comply with Quebec labour standards and the acts and regulations governing them.
- Employment Standards (Manitoba)
Make sure you understand your rights as a business owner and your responsibility to your employees regarding minimum wage, keeping records, dress code, termination, hours of work, general holidays and maternity/parental leave.
- Federal labour standards (federally regulated employers)
If you are a federally regulated employer, find out what your obligations are regarding wages, leave, hours of work, statutory holidays, termination and benefits.
- Employment standards publications
Order pamphlets that summarize the labour standards defined in the Canada Labour Code. You can also view the summaries online.
- Labour Standards Permits, Licences and Variances — Saskatchewan
As an employer, you need to get permission to deviate from the rules and regulations of the Labour Standards Act in Saskatchewan.
- Labour Standards (Saskatchewan)
If you are a provincially-regulated employer, make sure you understand your obligations regarding wages, working hours, vacation, statutory holidays, termination, benefits and compliance.
- A Guide to Labour Standards in Saskatchewan — Rights and Responsibilities
As an employer in Saskatchewan, you need to know your rights and responsibilities related to labour standards.
- Alberta employment standards
Find rules regarding wages, hours of work, overtime, vacations and other leave, termination of employment, and employees under 18 years of age.
- Employment Standards (Yukon)
Understand your responsibility to your employees concerning hours of work, vacation entitlement, and various types of leave.
Sector-specific employment standards
- Federal construction contracts
Learn about the labour conditions that you must meet in order to win construction contracts with the federal government.
- Managing retail workers in Ontario
Learn what your responsibilities are for managing retail workers in Ontario.
- Hiring and managing a homeworker in Ontario
Learn what a homeworker (someone doing work for you out of his or her own home) is and understand your responsibilities as the employer.
- A Retailer's Guide to Labour Standards in Saskatchewan
As a retailer with employees, you need to know your rights, responsibilities and obligations under the Saskatchewan Labour Standards laws.
- Labour Standards for the Restaurant and Food Industry — Saskatchewan
If you are an employer in the restaurant and foodservices industry in Saskatchewan, know your rights, responsibilities and obligations under the Saskatchewan Labour Standards laws.
- A Guide to Employment Standards in Agriculture (Manitoba)
Are you an agri-business employer? Learn more about your rights and responsibilities.
Wages and payroll
As an employer, you are required to pay your employees at least the minimum wage established for your province or territory. For most occupations, there is one hourly minimum wage that applies. However, there are some exceptions for young workers and people in specific occupations. When paying your employees, you will also need to take off taxes and other deductions and remit them to the government.
To find out more about wages and payroll requirements, browse these resources:
- Payroll
Find out how to deduct Canada Pension Plan contributions, Employment Insurance (EI) premiums and income tax from your employees pay, and report them to the CRA.
- Employer responsibilities — The payroll steps
As an employer, you must follow a number of steps for managing your employees' payroll. Understand your obligations.
- Benefits and allowances
If you provide your employees with any taxable benefits, you need to add their value to the employees' income to determine the amount subject to source deductions.
- Current and forthcoming minimum hourly wage rates for experienced adult workers in Canada
Find out what the current minimum wage is in each province and territory, and get information on any planned increases.
- Current and forthcoming minimum hourly wage rates for young workers and specific occupations
Find the wage rates for certain groups of people to whom the general minimum wage does not apply.
- Calculation tools for employees
Find calculators to help you determine the amounts to which your employees are entitled.
- Minimum wage in Ontario
Find out about minimum wage regulations and make sure you are paying your employees the right rate.
- Pay and wages (Nova Scotia)
Do you have questions about minimum wage, overtime and vacation pay? Learn all about pay regulations here.
- Minimum Wage Regulations - Saskatchewan
If you are a provincially regulated employer, know the obligations you have to your employees regarding minimum wage.
- Introduction to Pay Equity in Ontario
Did you know if you employ ten or more people, your business must pay your male and female employees the same salary for equal or comparable work?
- Source deductions and contributions
Find out all you need to know about payroll deductions and employer/employee contributions, as well as the procedures to be followed.
- Guide for Employers: Source Deductions and Contributions
Obtain information on the source deductions that you must make when you have paid employees.
- Northwest Territories Payroll Tax
If you are an employer in the Northwest Territories, you need to register with the Department of Finance within the first 21 days of your first payroll cycle.
- What is minimum wage? (Manitoba)
Find out about the minimum wage in Manitoba and how it applies to your business.
- Wages, Pay and Deductions (Federally Regulated Employers)
If your business is federally regulated, find out about the requirements you must comply with regarding minimum wage, vacation pay, and more.
Hours of work and overtime
There are provincial and territorial standards that set out the number of hours an employee can be required to work per day and per week. The standards on hours of work also set out rules for meals and break periods. These standards apply to most employees and most situations. However, there are some exceptions and specific rules for overtime, emergencies and certain professions or job functions.
- Hours of work (Ontario)
Find out about the requirements for hours of work and overtime pay for your employees.
- Breaks, Hours of Work (Nova Scotia)
Find out everything you need to know about Nova Scotia regulations on hours of work, break requirements, the right for employees to refuse unsafe work, and more.
- Hours of work (federally regulated employers)
Learn about the requirements for hours of work and overtime that apply to federally regulated employers.
Public holidays
In most cases, you will need to pay your employees for public holidays. The list of public holidays and the specific rules regarding public holidays are set out in provincial and territorial labour standards.
- Statutory holidays (federally regulated employers)
Find out about the standards for general holidays and what your obligations are as a federally regulated business.
- Your Employees and Public Holidays (Ontario)
Learn about the rights of your employees during Ontario public holidays, including rules for specific industry sectors.
- Vacation and holidays (Nova Scotia)
Learn about the vacation pay and designated holidays to which your employees are entitled.
Vacation and other types of personal leave
As an employer, you will also have to follow provincial and territorial labour standards relating to personal leave. The types of leave and exact terms used to describe them vary across the country, but generally include: vacation leave, sick leave, bereavement leave and leave to take care of sick family members.
- Leave (federally regulated employers)
Learn about the leave options that federally regulated employers must make available to their employees.
- Canadian Forces Leave Policy Manual
Find out how to develop a military leave policy to support the training of reservists or Canadian Rangers in your employment.
- Leaves from work (Nova Scotia)
Find out about your obligations under the Nova Scotia Labour Code with regards to unpaid leaves of absence such as pregnancy, bereavement, and sick leave.
- Vacation Time and Pay (Ontario)
If you are an employer in Ontario, this document will help you understand your responsibilities with regard to providing vacation time for your employees.
- Personal emergency leave
Learn what your responsibilities are as an employer, when providing employees with personal emergency leave.
- Family Medical Leave (Ontario)
Learn what your responsibilities are as an employer, when providing employees with family medical leave.
- Employment Insurance benefits for self-employed people
Are you self-employed? If you wish to access maternity, parental, sickness or compassionate care benefits through the employment insurance program, you need to start paying into the plan a year in advance.
Maternity and parental leave
All provinces and territories in Canada give parents the right to take leave from work when they become parents. The exact amount of leave and type of leave that employees are entitled to may vary slightly by province or territory, but is generally:
- 15 weeks of pregnancy/maternity leave (must be taken by the mother), plus 35 weeks of parental leave (can be used by either the mother or father, or split between both) for birth parents
- 37 weeks of parental leave for adoptive parents
In addition to being able to take time off, your employees may be eligible for benefits through the Employment Insurance Program (for all provinces/territories except Quebec) or the Quebec Parental Insurance Program.
EI or QPIP benefits only cover a portion of your employee's usual salary when on leave. As an employer, you can choose to add to those benefits. While this is not required, offering additional maternity or parental leave benefits, like other types of benefits offered by employers, can help you recruit and retain top talent.
You need to issue your employee a Record of Employment at the beginning of the leave period.
- Maternity-related reassignment and leave, maternity leave and parental leave
Access information for federally regulated businesses on maternity-related job modifications, and maternity and parental leave.
- Supplement to Employment Insurance (EI) maternity, parental and compassionate care benefits
Find out about the requirements for establishing a program to top up your employees' maternity and parental benefits.
- Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web)
Use this secure application to create, submit and print Records of Employment (ROEs) via the Internet in preparation for the interruption of employee earnings.
- ROE Web Benefits
Watch this Service Canada video to find out the benefits to your business when you file Records of Employment for your employees online.
- Québec Parental Insurance Plan
Like your employees, you may be eligible for workers' benefits for maternity, paternity, adoption or parental leave.
- Pregnancy, parenting and the workplace - Saskatchewan
As an employer or employee in Saskatchewan, know your rights and obligations concerning maternity, adoption and parental leave.
- Leaves from work (Nova Scotia)
Find out about your obligations under the Nova Scotia Labour Code with regards to unpaid leaves of absence such as pregnancy, bereavement, and sick leave.
- Employment Insurance benefits for self-employed people
Are you self-employed? If you wish to access maternity, parental, sickness or compassionate care benefits through the employment insurance program, you need to start paying into the plan a year in advance.
Federally regulated industries
If your business is in a federally regulated industry, you need to comply with federal employment standards. The industry sectors that are regulated federally are:
- Banks
- Marine shipping, ferry and port services
- Air transportation, including airports, aerodromes and airlines
- Railway and road transportation that involves crossing provincial or international borders
- Canals, pipelines, tunnels and bridges (crossing provincial borders)
- Telephone, telegraph and cable systems
- Radio and television broadcasting
- Gain elevators, feed and seed mills
- Uranium mining and processing
- Businesses dealing with the protection of fisheries as a natural resource
- Many First Nation activities
- Most federal crown corporations
- Private businesses necessary to the operation of a federal act
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