As of January 1, 2026, several important changes to employment standards are now in force across Saskatchewan. The updates affect how tips are handled, when employers can request sick notes, and who is eligible for certain job-protected leaves. The amendments are part of broader changes to The Saskatchewan Employment Act and the newly introduced Employment Standards Regulations, 2025.
Together, these changes strengthen worker protections while modernizing employment rules across the province.
Stronger Protections for Tips and Gratuities
One of the most significant updates affects employees who earn tips.
Under the new rules, employers are prohibited from withholding or deducting gratuities from employees’ wages. A “gratuity” includes voluntary payments made by customers, whether paid directly to the employee or collected by the employer, as well as service charges that customers reasonably assume will be kept or shared by employees.
Employees who believe their tips have been improperly withheld can file a complaint with the Director of Employment Standards. The director has the authority to order employers to repay any tips owed.
Employers may still establish tip-pooling arrangements, allowing gratuities to be shared among some or all employees. However, employers, directors, and shareholders are generally excluded from participating in tip pools unless they perform substantially the same work as the employees involved or work in an industry where such sharing is common practice.
Limits on Sick Notes and Extended Sick Leave
The changes also address sick leave and medical documentation.
Employers are now restricted from requesting a sick note unless an employee has been absent for five consecutive working days. This change is intended to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on employees and the healthcare system.
In addition, long-term sick leave has been extended to 27 weeks, bringing Saskatchewan in line with federal standards.
Expanded Leave Entitlements
Several leave provisions have been expanded or clarified under the new legislation:
- Pregnancy loss: Employees who experience a pregnancy loss are now eligible for maternity leave.
- Interpersonal violence leave: A new unpaid leave of up to 16 weeks is available to employees who have experienced interpersonal violence.
- Bereavement leave: Employees may now take bereavement leave for any person they consider to be a close relative, in addition to existing entitlements related to immediate family members.
These changes broaden access to job-protected leave during particularly difficult personal circumstances.
Other Notable Employment Standards Changes
Additional amendments and regulatory updates now in effect include:
- Employers may use a calendar day instead of 24 consecutive hours when calculating work schedules and overtime.
- The threshold for group termination notice has increased from 10 employees to 25 employees.
- The overtime exemption for professional practitioners has been narrowed to apply only to licensed or registered professionals who can work independently without supervision.
- The requirement for certain retail workers to receive two consecutive days of rest has been removed.
- Public holidays (except Remembrance Day) may be substituted with another day if agreed upon, without requiring approval from the Director of Employment Standards.
- The Director of Employment Standards now has expanded authority to order reinstatement and compensation in cases involving discriminatory action by an employer.
For employers, the updates require a review of payroll practices, tip-pooling arrangements, leave policies, and termination procedures to ensure compliance with the new rules.
With the amendments now in effect, Saskatchewan employers should take steps to update internal policies and train managers on the new requirements to avoid compliance issues moving forward.
