⚖️ Legislative Updates — July 2026
July brings a wave of employment law changes that Canadian employers cannot afford to miss. From Alberta's landmark overhaul of employer-sponsored benefits to PEI's modernized Employment Standards Act now in force, new federal privacy legislation, and Manitoba's upcoming sick note restrictions, there is no shortage of compliance obligations on the horizon. Below is a province-by-province breakdown of every employment law change, court decision, and legislative update that matters to your organization — all from June 1, 2026 onward.
🌾 Alberta 1 Update
Employer-Sponsored Benefits
Bill 11: Alberta Overhauls Employer-Sponsored Benefits
Alberta's Employment Benefits Standards Act (Bill 11) introduces major changes to employer-sponsored benefit plans, expected to take effect later in 2026. The bill prohibits employers from terminating or reducing drug and health coverage when an employee turns 65. It also shifts costs by making employer-sponsored plans the first payor for drugs and supplemental health benefits, with provincial plans becoming the "payer of last resort."
Employer Takeaway: Review plan designs, employment contracts, and policies to ensure compliance with the prohibition on age-based benefit reductions. Prepare for potential premium increases as the cost-shift takes effect.
Source: Mathews Dinsdale →
🍁 Ontario 1 Update
Court Decision
Court of Appeal Confirms No Charter Right to Deceptive Workplace Access
In Animal Justice v. Ontario (June 15, 2026), the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020. The Court affirmed that employers have the right to control workplace access and are entitled to know who they are dealing with, ruling that consent to enter premises obtained by misrepresentation or fraud is invalid. The decision rejected arguments that undercover activists had a Charter right to deceive employers to gain access.
Employer Takeaway: This decision reinforces employer property rights and the ability to restrict access against undercover activists or those using false pretences to gain entry. Ensure your visitor and contractor access policies are clearly documented and enforced.
Source: Hicks Morley →
🦬 Manitoba 1 Update
Sick Note Restrictions
Manitoba Restricts Employer Requests for Sick Notes — In Force October 1
Manitoba has amended its Employment Standards Code to restrict when employers can require medical notes for employee absences. Coming into force on October 1, 2026, employers may only request a sick note if an absence continues for more than one week, or if the employee has already been absent for more than 10 scheduled workdays in a calendar year. Manitoba joins a growing list of provinces — including Ontario, BC, and Nova Scotia — that have curtailed sick note requirements.
Employer Takeaway: Update your attendance and sick leave policies before October 1 to ensure managers do not request medical notes for short-term absences. Train supervisors on the new rules to avoid potential human rights or employment standards complaints.
Source: DLA Piper →
🌊 New Brunswick 1 Update
New Legislation
New Brunswick Enacts Pay Transparency and 27-Week Illness Leave
New Brunswick has passed the Pay Transparency Act, requiring employers to include salary ranges in job postings, prohibiting the use of salary history in hiring decisions, and protecting employees who discuss wages with colleagues. The province also expanded job-protected unpaid leave for serious illness from five days to 27 weeks under the Employment Standards Act. These changes represent a significant expansion of worker protections in the province.
Employer Takeaway: Update recruitment processes to include salary ranges in all job postings. Revise your leave policies to accommodate the new 27-week job-protected illness leave. Ensure managers understand the prohibition on salary history inquiries during hiring.
Source: Canadian HR Reporter →
🥔 Prince Edward Island 1 Update
New Legislation
Read now →
New Employment Standards Act Takes Effect June 30
PEI's modernized Employment Standards Act came into force on June 30, 2026. Key changes include: reducing the standard work week from 48 to 44 hours before overtime applies; introducing up to 27 weeks of unpaid medical leave; increasing unpaid sick leave to four days per year; and tightening rules around group layoffs and termination notice. The new Act represents the most significant overhaul of PEI employment standards in decades.
Employer Takeaway: Review your payroll systems for the new 44-hour overtime threshold — this alone could increase payroll costs in retail, hospitality, and care sectors. Update employee handbooks to reflect the expanded leave entitlements and new termination notice rules.
Read now →
🦞 Nova Scotia 1 Update
Labour Board Decision
Former Call Centre Workers Await $194K Payout Two Years After Layoffs
Nova Scotia's Labour Standards Division ordered a former call centre company to pay nearly $194,000 to 69 former employees after finding the company failed to provide proper termination pay and vacation pay following mass layoffs. The case has been ongoing for two years, with workers still awaiting payment. The employer has disputed the order, leaving dozens of former employees in financial limbo.
Employer Takeaway: Ensure strict compliance with statutory notice periods and vacation pay payouts during any restructuring or mass layoff. Delayed or disputed payments can result in significant penalties, reputational damage, and prolonged legal proceedings.
Source: CBC News →
🍁 Federal 1 Update
Proposed Legislation
Bill C-36: Federal Government Tables New Digital Privacy Law
On June 15, 2026, the federal government tabled Bill C-36, which proposes to enact the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act (PPCDA), replacing the privacy portions of PIPEDA. The bill introduces major changes for organizations collecting, using, and disclosing personal information in Canada — including new rules on employee data, stronger consent requirements, and significant penalties for non-compliance.
Employer Takeaway: Monitor the progress of Bill C-36 and begin assessing your current data collection and privacy practices against the proposed new framework. Review how you collect, store, and share employee personal information — this bill will affect virtually every Canadian employer.
Source: Parliament of Canada →
📰 Featured Article — Leslie Consulting Group
Employee Wellbeing | Mental Health | Workplace Productivity
Is Your Team Running on Empty? The Sleep Problem No One's Talking About
In this month's featured article from Leslie Consulting Group, we explore a growing workplace issue that often goes unnoticed: employee sleep deprivation. New research reveals that nearly half of Canadian employees aren't getting enough sleep, with significant impacts on productivity, absenteeism, mental health, and overall wellbeing. Learn what's keeping employees awake at night, why many aren't accessing available support, and how employers can use existing benefits resources to help their workforce rest easier and perform at their best.
Employer Takeaway: Review your current benefits plan to ensure sleep and mental health supports are visible and accessible to employees. Encourage managers to model healthy boundaries around after-hours communication and workload expectations.
Read now →
💰 Current Minimum Wage Across Canada — July 2026
All rates are current as of July 2026. Upcoming scheduled increases are noted where confirmed.
| Province / Territory | Current Rate | Upcoming Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $15.00 | — |
| British Columbia | $18.25 | ↑ Increased June 1, 2026 |
| Manitoba | $16.00 | ↑ $16.40 (Oct 1, 2026) |
| New Brunswick | $15.90 | — |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $16.35 | — |
| Northwest Territories | $16.05 | — |
| Nova Scotia | $16.75 | ↑ $17.00 (Oct 1, 2026) |
| Nunavut | $19.00 | ↑ $19.75 (Sep 1, 2026) |
| Ontario | $17.60 | ↑ $17.95 (Oct 1, 2026) |
| Prince Edward Island | $17.00 | ↑ $17.30 (Oct 1, 2026) |
| Québec | $16.60 | — |
| Saskatchewan | $15.35 | — |
| Yukon | $18.51 | — |
| Federal | $18.15 | — |
🎙️ LIVE WEBINAR
THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2026 • 2:00 PM EST
Vacation Requests & Vacation Pay:
What Employers Need to Know This Summer
What Employers Need to Know This Summer
Summer is one of the busiest vacation periods of the year. Join our HR experts for a practical session on vacation requests, vacation pay calculations, and compliance obligations — so you can manage a smooth, productive, and compliant summer season.
✔ How to handle vacation requests fairly
✔ Employer rights & scheduling obligations
✔ Vacation pay calculations & compliance
✔ Staffing coverage during peak periods
✔ Answers to common employer questions
Speaker
Darcy Michaud
Chief Services Officer
HR Covered Inc.
HR Covered Inc.
Host
Kim Allen
Director of Account Management
HR Covered Inc.
HR Covered Inc.
Can't attend live? Register and we'll send you the full recording.
📰 Trending HR Insights — July 2026
Just Cause | Misconduct | Saskatchewan
Employee Fired for Shredding Critical Workplace Document and Deleting Emails: Saskatchewan Labour Board Upholds Just Cause Dismissal
A recent Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board decision highlights how misconduct involving workplace records, electronic information, and dishonesty can lead to a finding of just cause. Despite having years of service and no prior discipline, the employee's actions were found to have irreparably damaged the employment relationship.
Employer Takeaway: Document all workplace misconduct thoroughly and ensure your policies on records management and electronic communications are clear. Even long-tenured employees with clean records can be dismissed for cause when their actions fundamentally breach the trust of the employment relationship.
Read now →
Human Rights | Discrimination | Reprisal | Ontario
Case Study: Employee Fired After Reporting Racist Comment
A Toronto restaurant owner was ordered to pay more than $40,000 after the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that an employee experienced discrimination and reprisal following a complaint about a customer's racist remark. The decision highlights employers' obligations to address discriminatory conduct in the workplace, even when it comes from customers, and the risks of retaliating against employees who raise human rights concerns.
Employer Takeaway: Employers have a duty to address discriminatory conduct regardless of whether it comes from staff or customers. Ensure your anti-harassment and human rights policies are current, that complaints are taken seriously, and that no employee faces adverse consequences for raising a concern.
Read now →
Workers Compensation | Mental Health | British Columbia
Employer Found to Have Discouraged Worker from Reporting Mental Health Injury Claim
A recent BC Supreme Court decision highlights the risks employers face when discussing workers' compensation claims with employees. The Court upheld a finding that an employer contravened the Workers Compensation Act after management encouraged a worker to remain on disability benefits rather than report a mental health injury to the Workers' Compensation Board. The decision confirms that mental health injuries are protected under workplace reporting provisions.
Employer Takeaway: Train managers never to discourage or redirect employees away from filing a WCB claim, even if the intent is supportive. Mental health injuries carry the same legal protections as physical ones. When in doubt, direct employees to HR or an occupational health professional.
Read now →
Human Rights | Investigation Duty | Ontario
Ontario Employer Ordered to Pay Damages After Failing to Investigate Workplace Racism Complaint
A recent Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario decision serves as an important reminder that employers have a duty to investigate discrimination complaints promptly and thoroughly. In this case, an employee raised concerns about workplace racism and requested an investigation before being terminated during his probationary period. The Tribunal found that the employer's failure to meaningfully investigate the allegations contributed to a finding of discrimination under the Human Rights Code.
Employer Takeaway: A probationary period does not exempt employers from their duty to investigate human rights complaints. Ensure all discrimination and harassment complaints are investigated promptly, documented thoroughly, and resolved in good faith, regardless of the employee's tenure.
Read now →
