Nova Scotia Labour Laws (2025 Guide)

What’s New in 2025

• Increase to minimum wage (1 October 2025)
• Extension to paid domestic violence leave (1 April 2025)
• New Duty to Cooperate requirement (15 July 2025)
• New workplace harassment policy requirement (1 September 2025)

Overview of Employment Law in Nova Scotia

Federal vs. Provincial Jurisdiction

Employment in Nova Scotia is governed by both federal and provincial laws.

This guide focuses on Nova Scotia’s provincial labour laws, which apply to the majority of employers and employees.

However, these provincial labour standards don’t apply to businesses regulated by the federal government, or to the following types of employees:

• Employees of businesses regulated by the federal government.
• Self-employed workers and independent contractors.
• Domestic workers who provide care to an immediate family member in a private household.*
• Domestic workers in private households who work fewer than 24 hours/week.*

* Some parts of the provincial legislation do apply to foreign domestic workers. These are addressed below as they arise.

Key employment legislation

The key employment legislation in Nova Scotia is the Labour Standards Code and regulations. These are enforced by the Labour Standards Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

This legislation applies to workers regardless of the number of hours they work. It also covers:

• Foreign workers.
• Recruiters.
• Employees of businesses regulated by the provincial government.

Wages and Pay Rules

Minimum wage

From 1 October 2025, the general minimum wage in Nova Scotia is $16.50/hour. This is an additional increase from the $15.70/hour minimum set on April 1, 2025.

The minimum wage increases annually on April 1 in line with inflation (calculated as the previous year’s Consumer Price Index + 1%).

Employers who pay on a piecework basis must ensure workers receive at least the minimum wage, even when piecework earnings are lower. There’s an exception for workers harvesting tobacco, fruit, or vegetables.

These rules come from the Minimum Wage Order (General), which doesn’t apply to employees in construction, property maintenance, logging, and forest operations. These are covered by separate minimum wage orders. Employers of these workers should contact Labour Standards for the applicable regulations.

Overtime pay

Most employees are entitled to overtime rates at 1.5x their regular wage after 48 hours worked in a week. This includes some salaried employees.

Some employees have special overtime rules.

Employees who fall under the Minimum Wage Order (General) receive overtime pay at 1.5x the minimum wage (not their regular wage) after 48 hours worked in a week. This applies to:

• Oil and gas employees (except those in retail).
• Supervisors, managers, and employees employed in a confidential capacity.
• Primary fish and agricultural processors.
• Flat-rate auto mechanics and body technicians.
• Certain professionals and trainees.
• IT professionals (excluding basic operational/technical support providers).
• Shipbuilders and related employees (except those in retail).
• Transport (this group receives overtime after 96 hours in a 2-week period).

The Minimum Wage Order (Construction and Property Maintenance) requires 1.5x the regular wage for hours exceeding 110 hours in 2 weeks for employees working in the following:

• Construction, including road, street, sidewalk, structure, and bridge construction and maintenance.
• Paving. 
• Water and sewage installation. 
• Landscaping.
• Snow removal.
• Saw mills, metal fabricators, and machine shops.

Employers and employees can agree to a fixed-price averaging agreement, where: 

• The employee’s work hours are averaged out over a predetermined period, and  
• Overtime is any hours in excess of the employee’s agreed average number of hours over the pre-determined period. 

The following employees aren’t entitled to overtime pay rates:

• Most farm workers.
• Logging and forest employees.
• Real estate and car sales employees.
• Licensed insurance agents (under the Insurance Act).
• Apprentices employed under Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act terms.
• Trainees under government sponsored and approved plans.
• Non-profit summer camp and playground employees.
• Fishing boat employees. 
• Employees who provide domestic services and care to immediate family members in private homes.
• Live-in care providers.
• Resident building superintendents and janitors.
• Athletes, including for any non-athletic work they do related to their sport. 
• Employees covered by a collective agreement.

Vacation pay

Employees in Nova Scotia start accruing vacation pay upon employment, regardless of whether they’re full-time, part-time, or seasonal. They become entitled to this pay after 12 months’ employment.

In the first 7 years of employment, employees accrue vacation pay at a rate of 4% of gross wages. From the start of the 8th year onward, vacation pay accrues at 6% of gross wages. This calculation includes the cash value of any employer-provided board or lodging (except in the construction industry).

Employers can either:

• Pay out accumulated vacation pay at least a day before the employee starts their vacation leave. 
• Include vacation pay in employees’ hourly rates of pay. 

Employers must detail all vacation pay they pay out on employees’ pay stubs.

(Not all employees receive vacation pay. Jump down to the section on vacation leave to learn more.) 

Statutory holiday pay

Nova Scotia Labour Standards legislation entitles qualifying employees to 6 paid statutory holidays: 

• New Year’s Day.
• Nova Scotia Heritage Day.
• Good Friday.
• Canada Day.
• Labour Day.
• Christmas Day.

To qualify for paid statutory holidays, employees must:

• Be entitled to pay for 15+ days in the 30 days before the holiday.
• Have worked the day—or their last scheduled shift—before the holiday
• Work the day—or their next scheduled shift—after the holiday.

Employers must pay qualifying employees their regular day’s pay for each holiday (this includes any commission-based earnings). 

(Employee’s statutory holiday pay also counts towards vacation pay.)

When a statutory holiday falls on a regular day off, employers must give qualifying employees a paid day off on another day.

Working on statutory holidays

Employees who work on a statutory holiday are entitled to 1.5x their regular pay rate. An employee who qualifies for statutory holiday pay and works on the holiday is entitled this rate plus their statutory holiday pay.

Employees who work for continuous operation companies may be paid at the 1.5x regular pay rate or be paid their regular rate and given a different day off with pay. A company is considered in continuous operation if any of the following applies:

• Production doesn’t stop.
• It runs trucks and other vehicles.
• It provides telephone and other communication services.
• It regularly requires employees to work on Sundays or public holidays.

Pay frequency

Employers must pay employees at least twice a month. Employees must receive all wages earned in a pay period within 5 days of it ending.

Employers may pay employees less frequently, such as monthly, in these situations:

• When permitted by a collective agreement.
• When pay frequency follows an existing practice.
• With approval from the Director of Labour Standards.

Wages can be paid in lawful Canadian currency (cash), cheque, or by bank deposit. Employers must provide pay stubs that include:

• Dates of the pay period.
• Hours worked in that period.
• Employees’ pay rates.
• All deductions.
• Employees’ net pay.

Deductions

Any deductions from employees’ wages must be allowed by federal or Nova Scotia law. These include:

• Federal deductions for income tax, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions, and employment insurance (EI) contributions.
• Court-ordered deductions, including family support orders.
• Deductions to recuperate overpayments and wage advances (when properly documented in compliance with the Labour Standards Code).

Employees may give written consent to deductions for things like costs for lodging, uniforms, and meals. However, there are strict limits on the amount that can be lawfully deducted, and employees can’t give consent to any deduction that brings their earnings below the minimum wage.

Employers are barred from making deductions to recover recruitment costs from any worker, including foreign employees.

Working Hours and Rest Breaks

Standard work week and rest day

A work week can be any 7-day period.

In general, employers must give employees at least 24 consecutive hours of rest each week. This rule is waived in emergency situations to avoid “serious interference with the ordinary operation of the workplace.”

Employers may also apply to the Director of Labour Standards for a variance for their employees to work for more than 6 days in a week temporarily.

Meal and rest breaks

Employees must have a break of at least 30 minutes after 5 hours of consecutive work. This can be unpaid.

Break times must be paid when employees can’t leave the workplace during their break and must still be available to work during it.

Employees with medical conditions may be entitled to additional rests and break periods under the Human Rights Act.

These rules don’t apply to employees working under a collective agreement that contains its own break and rest period terms. Break rules can also be waived if an unforeseeable event makes breaks unreasonable. If this happens, employers must allow workers to eat at work (unless it’s not safe or reasonable to do so).

Waiting time and call-in pay

Under The Minimum Wage Order (General), employees must receive at least the minimum wage for any time they spend waiting to work at the workplace at their employer’s request.

Under the same legislation, employers must pay employees for at least 3 hours at the minimum wage rate if they call them in to work outside their regular work hours, even if they work less than 3 hours. Hospital workers called to deal with emergencies and some farm workers are exempted from this rule.

Employees in construction, property maintenance, logging and forest operations have different rules under their respective minimum wage orders.

Leave Entitlements

The Labour Standards Code entitles employees to various types of leave. It’s unlawful for employers to discriminate against or fire employees for taking or requesting these leaves.

Vacation leave

Most Nova Scotia employees become entitled to 2 weeks’ vacation time after each 12 month-period of employment. This rises to 3 weeks when employees reach 8 years of employment.

Using their vacation time is mandatory for full-time employees.

Employers must allow employees to take their vacation time within 10 months of the 12-month period. The employer has the final say over when employees take their vacation.

Employees who work less than 90% of the regular working hours in the 12 months during which they earned vacation can take vacation pay instead of vacation time. Employees must inform employers of this in writing. When they do, the employer must pay their vacation pay within a month of the 12-month period ending.

Vacation time (and vacation pay) rules don’t apply to:

• Real estate, car, and mobile home salespeople.
• Commissioned sales employees who work outside their employer’s place of business but not on a regular route.
• Fishing boat workers.
• Athletes.

Sick leave

Employees are entitled to up to 5 days’ unpaid leave for their own illness or injury, and up to 3 unpaid days to care for an unwell family member. Employees can use this leave to attend their own or a family member’s medical, dental, or similar appointment.

Employers are allowed to request medical notes only when employees:

• Miss more than 5 consecutive days of work because of illness or injury.
• Have already taken more than 2 absences, each fewer than 5 days, due to illness or injury in the preceding 12 months.

Employers must accept medical certificates from any healthcare professional that the Medical Certificates for Employee Absence Act allows to provide these certificates.

After 3 months of employment, employees become entitled to up to 27 weeks’ serious illness or injury leave in any 52-week period. This must be taken in 1-week periods, but it doesn’t have to be taken consecutively. 

Employees must give written notice as soon as they can about taking serious illness or injury leave, and employers may request they complete a Notification to Employer form.

If an employee plans to take a 5th period of leave that will start less than 6 months after the 4th absence ended, the employer doesn’t have to grant the leave.

While on serious illness or injury leave, employees may be entitled to benefits from the federal government’s Employment Insurance (EI) program.

Emergency leave

Employees may take unpaid emergency leave if they can’t work due to, or are they only reasonable person available to care for a family member that’s affected by, one of the following:

• An emergency under the Emergency Management Act.
• Emergency situations declared under the Health Protection Act.
• An emergency under the Emergencies Act (Canada).

Employees can take this leave for as long as the emergency prevents their return to work. This leave may not be necessary if the employee can work remotely.

Pregnancy and parental leave

Pregnant employees must be allowed up to 16 weeks’ pregnancy leave beginning up to 16 weeks before their expected delivery date.

If an employee’s pregnancy ends in any way other than a live birth within the first 19 weeks, the employee is entitled to up to 5 consecutive working days’ unpaid leave. This rises to 16 consecutive weeks’ leave if a pregnancy ends after 19 weeks.

Employees may also take up to 5 consecutive working days’ leave if the pregnancy of their spouse, former spouse, surrogate, or birth parent doesn’t end in a live birth.

Parents are entitled to up to 77 weeks of unpaid parental leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. This must be taken within the first 18 months of the child’s arrival. 

Where an employee takes both pregnancy and parental leave, the total leave (pregnancy + parental) can’t exceed 77 weeks. Employees must take pregnancy and parental leave back-to-back: They can’t take pregnancy leave, return to work, and then take parental leave. However, this rule doesn’t apply if the child is admitted to hospital for more than a week.

Employees must give at least 4 weeks’ notice of when they intend to take parental leave and when they will return to work. Where this isn’t possible, employees must give as much notice as they can.

Employers may ask to see proof, such as a doctor’s certificate or adoption documentation.

Employees eligible for pregnancy and parental leave may also be eligible to receive benefits under the federal EI program.

Bereavement leave

Employers must allow employees up to 5 days unpaid leave following the death of their:

• Spouse.
• Parent or guardian.
• Child or a child under their care.
• Grandparent.
• Grandchild.
• Sibling.
• In-laws (mother, father, daughter, son, sister, and brother).

Domestic violence leave

Employees become entitled to domestic violence leave after 3 months’ employment. 

They may take up to 10 non-consecutive or consecutive days’ leave, and an additional consecutive leave period no longer than 16 weeks. Employees can choose any 5 of these days to take as paid leave. This increased from 3 paid leave days on 1 April 2025.

Employees may take this leave when they or their child (any child under the employee’s legal care under the age of 18 years) are the victim of domestic violence, and for the following reasons:

• To obtain medical care for the victim, including psychological or other counselling from qualified professionals.
• To get help from victims’ services organisations or someone employed by a transition house.
• To seek help from the police or a Department of Justice employee.
• To temporarily or permanently relocate. 
• To seek legal help or participate in any related civil or criminal proceedings.
• For any other purpose prescribed by regulations.

Compassionate care leave

After 3 months’ employment, employees become eligible for up to 28 weeks’ unpaid compassionate care leave in a 52-week period. This leave enables employees to care for or support a seriously ill or injured family member (including relatives and other people who are like family members).

Employees must supply a medical certificate to support their entitlement to this leave, stating:

• The family member has a serious medical condition, and
• The serious medical condition poses a significant risk of death within 26 weeks of the certificate’s date or the date leave began.

Compassion care leave must be taken in 1-week periods. If leave is taken beyond 26 weeks, employees don’t have to obtain another medical certificate.

Employees must inform employers of their intention to take this leave. Employers may ask for copies of the medical certificate. 

Court leave

Employers must grant unpaid court leave for as long as needed for employees to:

• Perform jury service.
• Respond to a subpoena.
• Serve as a witness.

Employees should notify their employer as soon as practicable of needing to take this leave.

Other types of leave

Nova Scotia employees may also have access to the following types of unpaid leave:

• Up to 24 months’ reservist leave within any 60-month period in response to national emergencies under the Emergencies Act (Canada), plus unpaid leave to take part in training. 

• Up to 37 weeks’ critically ill child care leave to care for a child under 18 years old (employees become entitled after 3 months’ employment).
• Up to 16 weeks’ critically ill adult care leave to care for an adult (employees become entitled after 3 months’ employment).
• Up to 52 weeks’ crime-related disappearance of a child leave and 104 weeks’ crime-related death of a child leave for parents and guardians of children under 18 years old (employees become entitled after 3 months’ employment).
• 1 day leave to attend one’s own citizenship ceremony.

Public Holidays

In Nova Scotia, the following 6 public holidays are recognised as paid statutory holidays: 

• New Year’s Day: 1 January 
• Nova Scotia Heritage Day: 17 February 2025; 16 February 2026
• Good Friday: 18 April 2025; 3 April 2026
• Canada Day: 1 July
• Labour Day: 1 September 2025; 7 September 2026
• Christmas Day: 25 December

Uniform closing days

Under the Retail Business Uniform Closing Day Act, certain retail businesses must close on the 6 paid statutory holidays and Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Boxing Day. 

There are some exceptions. In general, businesses that provide essential services can open. This can include drug stores, gas stations, agricultural sellers, and broadcasters.

All employees have the right to refuse to work on retail closing days and Sundays. Employees who have previously agreed to work on these days must give a week’s notice when they don’t want to work on these days.

Remembrance Day

Most businesses must close on Remembrance Day (November 11) under the Remembrance Day Act. This includes malls, big box stores, and most grocery stores. However, some businesses may open, or open under set conditions. Those that do must observe 3 minutes’ silence starting at 10:59 am.

The Remembrance Day Act assessment tool can help employers learn how these rules apply to their business.

Employers may have to give employees who work on Remembrance Day another day off with pay, but employees aren’t entitled to pay when they don’t work on Remembrance Day.

Types of Employment

While the Labour Standards Code doesn’t explicitly define types of employment, it protects most employees, including:

• Full-time workers (typically 35–40 hours per week).
• Part-time workers (fewer than 30 hours per week).
• Casual workers (perform irregular, on-demand work).
• Temporary workers.
• Seasonal workers (although many are excluded by industry).

Independent contractors and misclassification

Independent contractors aren’t entitled to the protections of Nova Scotia’s labour standards legislation. Misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor has serious consequences for employers.

Whether someone is an employee or independent contractor depends on various factors regarding how they work and their relationship with their employer. In determining this, Nova Scotia courts consider:

• How the worker is compensated.
• The level of control the employer has over their work.
• Who owns the equipment used to carry out work.
• How many people the worker works for.
• Whether the worker has any ownership of the business.

Employers who misclassify employees as independent contractors can face fines and be made liable for unpaid wages, overtime, and unpaid EI and CPP payments. 

Termination and Final Pay

Notice requirements

Unless an employee is guilty of “wilful misconduct or disobedience or neglect of duty,” employers must give the following notice in writing when they end an employee’s employment:

• 3 months to up to 2 years’ employment: 1 week.
• 2 years to up to 5 years’ employment: 2 weeks.
• 5 years to up to 10 years’ employment: 4 weeks.
• 10+ years’ employment: 8 weeks.

For the purposes of notification requirements, an employee’s period of employment is considered broken as follows:

• When an employee quits. If they’re then re-hired, their length of employment starts over.
• 13 weeks of being fired.
• 12 months after a layoff or suspension. 

Employees who’ve been employed for 10+ years have additional rights. Employers can only fire or suspend them with “good cause” (determined on a case-by-case basis). Before dismissing these employees, employers must typically take steps, such as telling the employees that they must change their behaviour and giving them the chance to do so. This doesn’t prevent employers from ending employment due to shortage of work and other situations where the employer is acting in good faith.

When it is the employee’s decision to leave, they must give their employer notice if they’ve been employed for 3+ continuous months:

• 3 months to less than 2 years: 1 week.
• More than 2 years: 2 weeks.

This doesn’t apply to construction industry employees. 

On receipt of an employee’s notice, the employer can’t change the employees employment conditions, including their rate of pay. If an employee fails to give the required notice, their employer may file a complaint with the Labour Standards Division.

Group layoffs

Where an employer lays off or dismisses 10+ employees within a 4-week period, they must give group notice as follows:

• 10–99 terminations: 8 weeks.
• 100–299 terminations: 12 weeks.
• 300+ terminations: 16 weeks.

Employers also have a duty to notify the Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration in writing of any group terminations at the same time the notice is provided to employees.

After notifying employees of their employment ending, employers can’t change employees’ pay rates or any other employment condition.

Where notification is required, employers may give pay in lieu of notice. When this happens, pay must be equal to what the employee usually would’ve earned during the required period of notice. Employers must pay this within 5 days of the end of the pay period during which the employment ended.

These notice and pay in lieu of notice requirements don’t apply:

• To construction industry workers.
• When the employer offers terminated workers reasonable alternative employment.
• To layoffs shorter than 6 consecutive days.
• When the reason for the discharge or layoff is beyond the employer’s control and the employer took reasonable steps to avoid what caused it.
• When employment is terminated due to an employee reaching the required age for retirement.
• To other types of employment that’s excluded from regulation.
• Under circumstances excluded by regulation.

Severance pay

Employers aren’t required to pay severance pay under Nova Scotia law. However, some employers may have to pay severance under a collective agreement.

Final pay deadlines

When employment ends, regardless of who ended it, the employer must pay:

• Final wages within 5 days of the employment ending.
• Accumulated vacation pay within 10 days of the employment ending.

Employers can’t force employees to use any remaining vacation during the notice period, but employees may agree to do so.

Workplace Health and Safety

Employer duties

Workplace health and safety in Nova Scotia is regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act) and regulations and administered by the Occupational Health and Safety Division (OHS Division) of the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

Under the OHS Act, employers must:

• Maintain safe workplaces, including all equipment and machinery.
• Provide health and safety training, and keep records of it.
• Develop safety policies.
• Provide necessary protective equipment and ensure its use.
• Assess the workplace for hazards and inform workers of any identified risks.
• Inform employees of their rights under the OHS Act and display the Act in a visible place in the workplace.
• Appoint a health and safety representative (applies to employers of 5–19 workers)
• Establish a Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) (applies to employers of 20+ regularly employed workers).

Employers also must report any workplace fatality immediately and any workplace injury that requires medical care or results in time off work—or any critical incident that could cause serious harm—within 24 hours.

Employers must also report such injuries to the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) within 5 business days. 

The WCB administers workplace injury insurance and employee compensation benefits. Having workplace insurance is mandatory for employers of 3+ workers and for employers of any number of workers in some industries.

Under the new Duty to Cooperate legislation, effective 15 July 2025,  employers must:

• Contact employees after a workplace injury and maintain communication throughout their recovery and return to work.
• Create a return-to-work plan.
• Provide suitable alternative work that equals their prior earnings where possible.
• Abide by all WCB requests for information regarding an employee’s return-to-work.

Worker rights

The OHS Act gives employees the right to:

• Be informed of any known workplace hazards.
• Refuse unsafe work.
• Serve as a safety representative or on a JOHSC.
• Protection from reprisal for exercising their rights.

Employees must also report workplace injuries and safety concerns to their employer.

Recordkeeping Requirements

Required records

Under the Labour Standards Code, employers must keep employment records, including:

• Employee names, addresses, birth dates, and social insurance numbers.
• Dates of employment.
• Each employee’s daily and weekly work hours.
• Wage rates and gross earnings.
• Wage deductions and the reasons for them.
• Employees’ net pay.
• Absences of leave.
• Details of employment ending.

Many of these records (e.g., earnings) must be kept for at least 36 months after they were created.

Employers must keep most health and safety records (OHS Act) for at least 5 years from their creation. These include:

• Health and safety training records.
• Hazard assessments.
• Records of maintenance and repair work.
• Incident and injury reports submitted to the OHS Division and WCB.

(Some records must be kept for only 2 years.)

Workplace Rights and Protections

Human rights and anti-discrimination

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Act (HRA) makes it unlawful to discriminate or harass anyone based on the following characteristics:

• Age.
• Race, colour, ethnic, national, or aboriginal origin.
• Religion or creed.
• Sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
• Physical or mental disability.
• Fear of contracting illness or disease.
• Marital or family status.
• Source of income.
• Political belief, affiliation, or activity. 
• Association with anyone else of the above characteristics.

In limited situations, employers may restrict hiring based on some characteristics—for example, when hiring for exclusively religious or ethnic organisations.

Employers must accommodate employees on the basis of protected characteristics to the point of “undue hardship.” This is judged on a case-by-case basis, but generally, employers must make reasonable adjustments unless those adjustments would cause serious disruption or create excessive costs.

Employees who experience workplace discrimination or harassment can start the complaint process by completing an Inquiry Form and submitting it to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against workers who do this.

Preventing Harassment Policy requirement

As of 1 September 2025, all employers must implement a Preventing Harassment Policy that: 

• States employees have the right to harassment-free workplaces.
• Provides procedures for reporting harassment and encourages employee reporting.
• States the employer will investigate all harassment complaints and take appropriate action.
• Protects employees from reprisal when making a complaint.
• Is reviewed and updated at least once every 3 years.

The OHS Division provides preventing harassment resources, including a sample policy that employers can use to create their own.

Rights of Vulnerable Workers

Child workers

The general age of employment in Nova Scotia is 16. 

Unless working for a family member, under-16s are prohibited from employment in:

• Industrial industries.
• Forestry.
• Garages and automotive service stations.
• Hotels.
• Operating cooking equipment in restaurants.
• Operating elevators.
• Theatres and dance halls.
• Shooting galleries, bowling alleys, and pool halls.

Under-14s are prohibited from any employment that could harm or be unwholesome to their health or development. Any work they do can’t impact their school attendance or capacity to learn when in school.

Employers of any under-14 must adhere to strict work hour regulations:

• Maximum 3 hours on school days (unless they have an employment certificate).
• Maximum 8 hours on non-school days.
• Total school hours + work hours can’t exceed 8 hours.
• Work hours must be between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm.

Foreign and migrant workers

Foreign workers are protected by general provisions in the Labour Standards Code, plus specific employment protections:

• Employers can’t hold workers’ property, including passports and work permits.
• Recruiters of foreign workers must have a license.
• Charging and recovering recruitment fees/costs from foreign workers is prohibited.

Learn more about these rules from the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

Workers with disabilities

Workers with both physical and mental disabilities are offered protections under Nova Scotia’s HRA and OHS laws, as outlined above.

Government Resources and Support

Nova Scotians can access more information on labour laws from these official resources.

Provincial Resources

• The Labour Standards Division: Establishes the minimum employment standards in Nova Scotia, administers provincial Labour Standards legislation, and investigates labour standards complaints.
• The Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB): Provides resources about workplace injuries and illness and processes claims and payments.
• Nova SAFE: The Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration’s Safety Branch. Provides information to employers and employees on workplace safety and harassment.

Federal Resources

• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): Administers federal payroll deductions.
• Service Canada: Delivers federal programs such as EI and sickness benefits.
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS): Resources and training materials on workplace health and safety.

Disclaimer

The information in this guide is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Employment laws change frequently, and outcomes may vary depending on your specific circumstances. While we have made every effort to ensure the information provided is up to date and reliable, we cannot guarantee its completeness, accuracy, or applicability to your specific situation. For guidance, consult the appropriate provincial labor authority or a qualified employment lawyer.