Changes to Employment Standards Act
Domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence leave
Effective November 1, 2019
Amendments to the Employment Standards Act will take effect to provide an employee up to three days (3) with pay - and up to an additional seven days (7) without pay for an employee to deal with the consequences of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, or sexual violence.
Application: An employee who has been employed for a continuous period of three months, or more, may access this type of leave. The employee may choose to take this leave intermittently or in one continuous period.
Regulations have been drafted which detail the purposes for which the leave may be taken. The regulations also provide details on the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees in using this leave. Regulations were published in the Royal Gazette, April 6, 2019 (page 74).
Sick Leave / Compassionate Care Leave / Parental - Adoption Leave
Effective December 29, 2018
- The qualification period for unpaid sick leave is reduced from six (6) months to three (3) months;
- Compassionate care leave for employees who have a family member with a serious medical condition has increased from eight (8) weeks to twenty-eight (28) weeks;
- Parental / adoption leave has increased from up to thirty-five (35) weeks to up to sixty-two (62) weeks. The combined aggregate for maternity and parental / adoption leave is increased from fifty-two (52) weeks to seventy-eight (78) weeks.