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The Government of Saskatchewan has passed amendments to the province’s employment act.
According to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, the changes are meant to “reduce the administrative burden for employers while protecting the rights of employees in today’s modern workplaces.”
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The changes, which will take effect later this fiscal year, include a measure prohibiting employers from withholding tips from employees.
Also included in the amendments was a change restricting employers from asking for a sick note “unless the employee has been absent for more than five consecutive working days or has been absent twice for two or more days in the preceding 12 months.”
The duration of long-term sick leave has also been extended from 12 to 27 weeks, which the ministry said aligns with federal insurance benefits and provides additional job protection to employees who are receiving benefits.
Additionally, maternity leave is being extended to employees who experience a loss of pregnancy “up to 20 weeks before the estimated due date.”
Employees experiencing interpersonal violence are now offered 16 weeks of unpaid leave, in addition to the existing 10 day leave (five days paid and five unpaid).
Bereavement leave has also been extended “to allow the leave within six months of a death rather than a week before or after the funeral, permitting leave for the death of a person the employee considers to be ‘like’ family and for the loss of a pregnancy of an employee or an employee’s immediate family.”
Other changes passed this week include modifying the definition of a day for the purpose of overtime hours. Employers can now define a day as a single calendar day, or continue using the current definition of any 24-hour period.
Another change means part-time employees “can participate in modified work arrangements where overtime is paid after the working hours established in the work schedule as opposed to the existing eight hours in a day.”
Employers in the retail sector will no longer be required to give workers two consecutive days off each week, which the ministry said brings retail into line with other sectors, “which must provide one day off.”
Additionally, the amendments mean that employers with non-unionized employees can apply to the director of employment standards “for a variance from the meal break and notice of work schedule change provisions, with the written consent of the employees.” Unions can also negotiate variances from the provisions directly with the employer without needing to go to the director for approval.
Other changes include “clarifying that employees can be paid their wages in cash,” and a further clarification saying employers do not have to provide vacation pay on the period where pay-in-lieu of notice is being provided.
Complete details of the changes can be found on the Government of Saskatchewan’s website.
