Recent developments in Canada
Employment law is always changing, and keeping up with it is a lot of work. Thankfully, our team is always working to stay abreast of the latest changes, so you don’t have to. Here are some of the newest developments in Canada.
Increased employer obligations around remote work (2025)
As of March 2025, several provinces, including British Columbia and Quebec, introduced new guidelines requiring employers to formalize remote work arrangements. These include provisions for reimbursement of work-related expenses, minimum standards for home office ergonomics, and clear expectations around availability and working hours.
Expansion of paid medical leave in federally regulated workplaces (2025)
Building on the 2022 reforms, the federal government increased the cap on paid medical leave from 10 to 12 days per calendar year in 2025. The amendment also introduced greater flexibility around how these days can be used, including partial-day use.
Alberta introduces employment standards for gig workers (2025)
In a major step toward protecting platform-based workers, Alberta enacted new legislation in January 2025 that guarantees basic rights for gig workers, including minimum earnings per task, protections against arbitrary deactivation, and access to occupational health and safety provisions.
Updates to minimum wage thresholds across multiple provinces (2025)
In April 2025, several provinces, including Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia, implemented scheduled increases to their minimum wage, indexed to inflation. Ontario’s minimum wage, for example, rose to CAD 17.40 per hour.
Nova Scotia implements pay transparency requirements (2025)
Effective July 2025, employers in Nova Scotia must now include salary ranges in job postings and are prohibited from asking candidates about their pay history. These measures aim to promote gender pay equity and greater transparency during the hiring process.
