The HR Compliance Calendar for Canadian Employers (2026): Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Tasks

Canadian HR compliance calendar current to August 30, 2026, with confirmed September and October wage changes, B.C. reporting and Ontario AODA deadlines.

How to read this calendar

Federal items apply only to federally regulated employers (banks, telecom, interprovincial transportation, postal/courier, broadcasting, First Nations band councils, etc.).
Provincial items apply only to employers in that province.
Dates marked "ongoing" are recurring obligations without a single fixed deadline.
Employee thresholds vary by rule — do not assume one snapshot date applies to everything. Examples:
- Ontario disconnecting-from-work and electronic-monitoring policies: measured on January 1 of the year.
- Ontario written-information-for-new-hires under ESA s. 15.1: measured on the employee's first day of work. Information must be provided before the employee's first day of work, or as soon as reasonably possible after if earlier delivery is not practicable.
- Ontario publicly advertised job postings under O. Reg. 476/24: these requirements do not apply if the employer has fewer than 25 employees on the day the publicly advertised job posting is posted.
- Federal and other provincial rules use their own specific triggers — always check the provision.

Sources

Q1 2026 (January – March)

January 1, 2026 — major effective date

Ontario — ESA job-posting rules (Working for Workers series): Amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (not a standalone "Pay Transparency Act"). These requirements do not apply if the employer has fewer than 25 employees on the day the publicly advertised job posting is posted. Under O. Reg. 476/24:
- Disclose expected compensation or a compensation range; posted range must not exceed CAD $50,000 (O. Reg. 476/24 s. 4), unless expected annual compensation is greater than $200,000.
- Ban on "Canadian experience" as a qualification in postings and application forms.
- Disclose whether AI is used to screen, assess, or select applicants.
- Disclose whether the posting is for an existing vacancy.
- Post-interview notification within 45 days of the last interview (O. Reg. 476/24 s. 5(1)).
- 3-year retention of postings, application forms, and related records.
Ontario — Long-term illness leave: Up to 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 52-week period.
Alberta & Manitoba — Long-term illness/serious-injury leave: Up to 27 weeks in a 52-week period, effective January 1, 2026.
Ontario — Written information for new hires (ESA s. 15.1): Applies where the employer has 25 or more employees on the new employee's first day of work. Information must be provided before the employee's first day of work, or as soon as reasonably possible after if earlier delivery is not practicable. Core requirement took effect July 1, 2025; additional prescribed categories expanded January 1, 2026.
Ontario — Washroom cleaning records (effective Jan 1, 2026): Employers must keep records showing the date and time of the two most recent cleanings for each washroom facility, make those records available on request, and post a notice in or near each washroom stating that the records are available.
BC — Pay transparency headcount snapshot: Headcount measured as of January 1, 2026 to determine whether the 50+ threshold applies for the November 1, 2026 report.

January — ongoing tasks

Federal T4/T4A preparation begins.
Ontario disconnecting-from-work and electronic-monitoring policies: headcount measured on Jan 1; policies due by March 1, 2026 if 25+ employees.

February

February 28, 2026: T4, T4A, and RL-1 slips must be issued.
Begin Ontario EHT annual return preparation.

March

March 1, 2026 — Ontario: Disconnecting-from-work and electronic-monitoring policies must be in place (and distributed within 30 days).
March 15, 2026: Ontario EHT annual return due.
March 31, 2026: WSIB (Ontario) reconciliation due.
Federal minimum wage announcement (2026: announced March 23, 2026).

Sources

Q2 2026 (April – June)

April 1, 2026 — Minimum wage changes (verified)

Jurisdiction	New rate	Notes
Federal	$18.15/hr	Up from $17.75 (2.1% CPI adjustment); federally regulated employers pay the higher of the federal or applicable provincial/territorial rate.
New Brunswick	$15.90/hr	CPI-indexed.
Newfoundland and Labrador	$16.35/hr	CPI-indexed.
Prince Edward Island	$17.00/hr	Legislated.
Nova Scotia	$16.75/hr	First of two 2026 increases (confirmed in NS Minimum Wage Order (General)).
Yukon	$18.51/hr	Effective April 1, 2026; CPI-indexed and exceeds federal rate.

April 30, 2026

Personal income tax filing deadline (employer reminder only).

June 1, 2026

BC minimum wage: Increases from $17.85 to $18.25/hr.

Ongoing Q2 obligations

Ontario workplace harassment program review (OHSA s. 32.0.6(2)): Employer must review the harassment program as often as necessary, and at least annually.
Federal written employment statement: Within the first 30 days of employment; updates within 30 days of the change taking effect.
Federal workplace harassment and violence prevention: Under the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (SOR/2020-130):
- The policy must be jointly developed with the applicable partner (policy committee, workplace committee, or health-and-safety representative).
- The policy must be reviewed and updated at least once every three years, and also after any occurrence that reveals a need (s. 6). There is no blanket annual policy-review requirement.
- An annual report must be submitted to the Minister of Labour — a separate obligation from the policy review cycle.
- Training must be delivered at prescribed intervals.

Sources

Q3 2026 (July – September)

September 1, 2026 — minimum wage changes

Northwest Territories: $17.20/hour, up from $16.95.
Nunavut: $20.17/hour, up from $19.75.

September review tasks

Prepare B.C. pay-transparency reports for employers with 50 or more B.C. employees.
Test October wage changes in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, PEI and Saskatchewan.
Begin Q4 year-end payroll and accessibility-reporting preparation.

Sources

Q4 2026 (October – December)

October 1, 2026 — confirmed general minimum-wage changes

Jurisdiction	New general rate
Manitoba	$16.40/hour
Nova Scotia	$17.00/hour
Ontario	$17.95/hour
Prince Edward Island	$17.30/hour
Saskatchewan	$15.70/hour

November 1, 2026

B.C. Pay Transparency Act: annual report due for employers with 50 or more B.C. employees, measured on January 1, 2026.

December 31, 2026

Ontario AODA: accessibility compliance report due for businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees.
Complete year-end payroll, policy-version and records checks.

Sources

Federal Canada Labour Code — timing nuances (IMPORTANT)

Right to Disconnect (RTD): The Labour Program's Forward Regulatory Plan 2026 to 2028 lists Right to Disconnect Policy Provisions as an upcoming initiative; no official pre-publication or final-regulation date has been published.
Canada OHS Regulations (Part II) amendments: Multiple amendments are staggered across 2026–2027 — verify each specific amendment's in-force date.
Pregnancy Loss Leave (Canada Labour Code): 8 weeks of leave in the case of a stillbirth; 3 days of leave for any other type of pregnancy loss. In both cases, the first 3 days are paid if the employee has completed at least 3 months of continuous employment.
Bereavement leave on loss of a child: Up to 8 weeks — in effect.
Medical leave with pay: Up to 10 days paid per calendar year — continuing.
Written employment statement: Within the first 30 days of employment; updates within 30 days of the change taking effect.
Record of Employment (ROE): Electronic within 5 calendar days of first day of interruption in earnings; paper within 5 days after pay-period end.
Pay equity (federal): Covers employers with 10+ employees. Initial pay equity plans were due to be posted by September 3, 2024 for most employers; maintenance review required at least every 5 years thereafter.

Sources

Ontario — consolidated 2026 view (Working for Workers series)

Job-posting rules (see January 1, 2026).
Mass-layoff "job-seeking leave": up to 3 days unpaid during notice period for 50+ mass terminations.
Extended temporary layoff (ESA): An employer and employee may agree in writing to a layoff of 35 or more weeks in any 52 consecutive weeks, but not 52 or more weeks in any 78 consecutive weeks. The written-agreement requirements under the ESA must be met; for unionized workplaces the applicable collective-agreement and statutory conditions apply.
Washroom cleaning records: see January 1, 2026 (records of the two most recent cleanings + posted notice).
Long-term illness leave: 27 weeks.
Disconnecting-from-work policy: 25+ employees as of Jan 1; policy by March 1.
Electronic monitoring policy: 25+ employees as of Jan 1; policy by March 1; distributed within 30 days.
Workplace harassment program review: OHSA s. 32.0.6(2), at least annually.

Sources

British Columbia — other 2026 changes

BC sick-note rule: employers generally cannot require a medical note for a worker's first two health-related short-term absences of five consecutive days or fewer in a calendar year.
Pay transparency: Nov 1, 2026 deadline for 50+ B.C. employees.
Minimum wage: $18.25/hr effective June 1, 2026.

Sources

Alberta — 2026 reminders

General minimum wage: $15.00/hr (no scheduled 2026 change).
Student rate (under 18, ≤28 hrs/week school session): $13.00/hr.
Long-term illness/serious-injury leave: 27 weeks effective January 1, 2026.
Alberta health and safety program: required in specified workplaces and reviewed every 3 years, or more often if changed worksite circumstances create or could create a hazard.

Sources

Manitoba — 2026 reminders

Long-term leave for serious injury or illness: up to 27 weeks in a 52-week period.
Minimum wage: currently $16.00/hr (since Oct 1, 2025); 2026 CPI-indexed rate typically announced mid-year for October 1 effective date.

Sources

Recurring (ongoing) obligations across Canada

Pay equity (federal): 10+ employees; initial plans due by September 3, 2024 for most employers; maintenance review at least every 5 years thereafter.
Accessibility Canada Act: Rolling 3-year cycle for plans, progress reports, feedback processes.
Occupational Health & Safety: JHSC meetings, inspections, incident reporting.
Workplace harassment & violence — federal: Policy jointly developed; policy reviewed and updated at least every 3 years, and after any occurrence that reveals a need (SOR/2020-130 s. 6); annual report to the Minister of Labour; training at prescribed intervals.
Workplace harassment — Ontario: Program review as often as necessary, at least annually (OHSA s. 32.0.6(2)).

Key Takeaways

Northwest Territories and Nunavut general minimum wages change September 1, 2026.
Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, PEI and Saskatchewan general minimum wages change October 1, 2026.
Federal minimum wage rises to $18.15/hr on April 1, 2026; federally regulated employers in higher-rate jurisdictions (e.g., Yukon $18.51) pay the higher rate.
BC: $18.25/hr on June 1, 2026.
Ontario ESA job-posting rules effective January 1, 2026: the rules do not apply to an employer with fewer than 25 employees on the day the publicly advertised job posting is posted; $50,000 range cap, 45-day post-interview notification, Canadian-experience ban, AI disclosure, 3-year retention.
Alberta (effective Jan 1, 2026) and Manitoba now have 27-week long-term illness/serious-injury leave in a 52-week period.
Ontario written-information-for-new-hires threshold is measured on the employee's first day of work, not a January 1 snapshot; information must be provided before that first day, or as soon as reasonably possible after if earlier delivery is not practicable.
BC employers with 50+ B.C. employees must post a pay transparency report by November 1, 2026 (snapshot January 1, 2026; 12-month reporting period).
Federal Right to Disconnect regulations are listed in the Labour Program Forward Regulatory Plan: 2026 to 2028. No official pre-publication or final-regulation date has been published, so any specific 2026 timeline in secondary sources is a forecast. Once in force, employers have 12 months to finalize an internal RTD policy.
Federal Pregnancy Loss Leave: 8 weeks for stillbirth; 3 days for other pregnancy loss; in both cases the first 3 days are paid if the employee has at least 3 months of continuous service. Federal workplace harassment and violence prevention policy must be reviewed at least every 3 years (and after any occurrence that reveals a need) under SOR/2020-130 s. 6; the annual obligation is the report to the Minister of Labour, not a policy review.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Employment law in Canada is jurisdiction-specific; consult qualified counsel for your province/territory, industry, and workforce size.