Province makes changes to Saskatchewan Employment Act

Some Saskatchewan students are getting more protection under The Saskatchewan Employment Act.

The government announced Tuesday it has made some changes to occupational health and safety provisions in the act, including clarifying the definition of a “worker” to include high school and post-secondary students.

The change will ensure students are covered under aspects of the act.

The amendments also include:

• Clarifying the employers’ duty and responsibility to ensure that incidents of harassment are investigated.
• Requiring all workplaces to have a violence policy in place that will also apply to students, volunteers and contract workers and investigate all incidents of violence in the workplace.
• Clarifying the work and authority of occupational health officers to take photos and recordings during workplace inspections.
• Authority for officers to exclude a person from an investigation interview if there is a perceived conflict. The person being interviewed would then be asked to nominate another person to attend the interview.
• Housekeeping and general amendments necessary to keep the legislation relevant and aligned with other legislative requirements.

In a media release, Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said the amendments would “ensure we are building a strong culture of workplace health and safety which is critical to helping reduce workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities.”