Both employers and employees are likely to have bunnies on the brain this Easter Sunday, but if you operate in Canada you should be aware that April 1, 2018 will bring employment law changes as well as eggs. Updated 2018 Canadian labour law posters are now available for employers who wish to keep employees informed of their statutory rights.
Spring 2018 Minimum Wage Increases
On April 1, 2018, the minimum wage will increase in four provinces. In most cases, you can use a quick and cost-effective Peel ‘N Post™ sticker to update your poster.
| Province | Minimum Wage April 1, 2018 |
Poster Update Method |
| New Brunswick | $11.25 | New Brunswick 2018 Minimum Wage Peel ‘N Post™ |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $11.15 | Newfoundland & Labrador 2018 Minimum Wage Peel ‘N Post™ |
| Nova Scotia | $11.00 | Nova Scotia 2018 Minimum Wage Peel ‘N Post™ |
| Prince Edward Island | $11.55 | Prince Edward Island All-On-One™ Labour Law Poster or Mobile Poster Pak™ |
Due to an additional important change, employers who wish to update their Prince Edward Island informational notices with the new minimum wage rate will need to purchase a new All-On-One™ Labour Law Poster or Mobile Poster Pak™.
Along with the Minimum Wage posting, the “Types of Employment Leave Under the Prince Edward Island Employment Standards Act” notice has been updated with two new leaves of absence. Employees are eligible for these leaves if they have been employed for a continuous period of at least 3 months by the same employer, and if they are the parent (or legal guardian) of a child under the age of 18.
- Leave Related to a Critically Ill Child – Employees are entitled to an unpaid leave of up to 37 weeks within a 52-week period in order to provide care or support to a child whose life is at risk as a result of an illness or injury.
- Leave for a Crime-Related Disappearance or Death of a Child – Employees are entitled to an unpaid leave of up to 52 weeks if their child disappears as a probable result of a crime, and up to 104 weeks if their child dies as a probable result of a crime.
Ontario Updates Equal Pay and Workplace Harassment Requirements
Ontario passed the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act in November of 2017. While many portions of the Act went into effect on January 1, 2018, some were scheduled for later dates. On April 1, 2018, new equal pay requirements come into effect.
CPC has updated the Ontario “Standards of Employee Rights in the Workplace” informational notice to inform employers that:
- Casual, part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees who do substantially the same work as full-time/permanent employees must be paid at the same rate of pay as full-time/permanent employees
- Temporary help agency employees who do substantially the same work as employees of the client must be paid at the same rate of pay as the client’s employees
Employees may be paid at a different rate of pay if the wage difference is based on valid factors such as a seniority or merit system, or systems which measure earnings by quantity or quality of production.
If you already own the Ontario All-On-One™ Labour Law Poster or Mobile Poster Pak™, you can update using the Ontario 2018 Standards of Employment Peel ‘N Post™.
Ontario has also updated its requirements for a posted workplace harassment program. Employers must describe procedures for workers to report incidents of workplace harassment to a person other than the employer or supervisor, in cases where the employer or supervisor is the harasser. We provide information on our sectioned companion poster to remind employers of their posting responsibilities, but written workplace harassment programs must be created by the individual employer.
CPC has created the Ontario 2018 Workplace Harassment Policy Peel ‘N Post™ for employers who wish to have the current posting requirements represented on the companion poster, but if you have already updated your written workplace harassment policy, you are in compliance with the law.
Why Display 2018 Canadian Labour Law Posters?
Unlike the United States, Canada usually does not require employers to display general informational notices about employment standards. Instead, employers may be required to post the full text of specified provincial laws and regulations as well as employer-specific information, such as the names of workplace safety representatives or internal policies regarding topics such as workplace violence and harassment. However, many employers prefer to display additional descriptive notices to ensure that employees are fully informed of their rights and responsibilities under the law without having to wade through pages of legal text.
For those employers, CPC has created our unique line of Canadian All-On-One™ Labour Law Posters. Each poster contains informational notices on various aspects of provincial employment law, such as requirements surrounding payment of wages, the types of leave employees are entitled to, prohibited forms of discrimination, and occupational safety and health. Every 2018 Canadian Labour Law Poster comes with a sectioned companion poster to allow employers to post the copies of laws, regulations, and internal policies which are required by provincial law.
To keep up with labor law news and poster updates for Canada or the U.S., subscribe to our blog or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also contact a Compliance Advisor by chat or phone for assistance with your unique posting needs.