Overview
The **Alberta labour standards 2018** saw significant revisions to the Employment Standards Code, impacting various aspects of the employer-employee relationship across the province. These changes aimed to modernize workplace regulations, enhance employee protections, and clarify obligations for businesses operating in Alberta.
- Key Revisions: The 2018 updates introduced new rules regarding general holidays, vacation pay, and termination notice, providing a comprehensive overhaul of existing labour laws.
- Employee Protections: Enhanced provisions for leave entitlements, including new types of job-protected leaves, were a central focus, ensuring greater support for workers during critical life events.
- Business Impact: Employers needed to adapt their policies and practices to comply with the revised standards, affecting payroll, scheduling, and human resource management as detailed in navigating standards.
- Compliance: Understanding and implementing the updated code was crucial for businesses to avoid penalties and maintain fair working conditions, requiring careful attention to business compliance.
Navigating Alberta Labour Standards for Your Business
It has been 29 years since Alberta Labour Standards were last reviewed and changed. The changes effective in 2018 are as follows:
Minimum Wage
The minimum wage has already been increased in recent years and is going to have one more increase to $15.00 per hour. This increase comes into effect on October 1, 2018.
Deductions from wages
Employers are prohibited from holding back wages due to faulty work or cash shortages. This is really important for anyone in the hospitality or retail industry.
Breaks
For every 5 hours of consecutive work an employer must provide a 30 min break. This can be taken in two 15 min breaks or as one 30 min break. These breaks can be paid or unpaid.
Overtime banking
Employees will now be entitled to bank 1.5 hours for every 1 hour of overtime worked instead of the old rules of banking 1 hour for every 1 hour worked. This also includes all salaried employees. However there are industries that are exempt from the overtime rules.
Statutory holidays
The calculation for statutory holidays has changed to 5% of the wages for the prior 4 weeks.
Probationary period
The probationary period has been changed from three months to 90 days.
Job protected leaves
To qualify for job protected leaves you must be employed for a minimum of 90 days.
| Maternity / Parental Leave | 16 weeks maternity and 37 weeks parental but may be adjusted as necessary. Job protection for 62 weeks.For Non-birth or adoptive parents parental leave must be completed within 53 weeks following the birth or adoption. |
| Compassionate Care | This job protected leave will be increased from 8 weeks to 27 weeks. |
| Bereavement Leave | Up to 3 days unpaid per calendar year. |
| Critical Illness of a child | Up to 36 weeks of unpaid leave for a seriously ill child. |
| Death or Disappearance of a child | Up to 52 weeks unpaid for a parent of a child that has disappeared as a result of a crime. |
| Domestic Violence | Up to 10 days unpaid per calendar year to seek such services as lawyer, move, medical etc. |
| Long-term Injury or illness | Up to 16 weeks unpaid leave in a calendar year |
| Personal and family emergency | Up to 5 unpaid days per year for the employee to care for their own health or the care of a family member. |
Termination
The rules of a group termination have been amended to give greater notice
50 to 100 employees     8 weeks notice
101 to 300 employees   12 weeks notice
Over 300 employees     16 week notice
Penalties
Failure to comply with Alberta Labour Standards can result in penalties of up to $10,000.00.
For more information you can go directly to the Alberta Labour Standards webpage.
https://www.alberta.ca/employment-standards-changes.aspx
If you would like more information or have any questions about Alberta Labour Standards, feel free to contact us at 780.466.6204, or click here to send us an email.
Thanks to Janet Crawford of KWB Chartered Professional Accountants for providing this content.