Saskatchewan Employment Standards in 2026: A Complete Employer Guide

The most significant development for Saskatchewan employers in 2026 is the Saskatchewan Employment Amendment Act, 2024 (Bill 5) , which came into force on January 1, 2026 . This omnibus amendment touches nearly every area of the employment relationship. Employers who have not yet updated their policies should do so immediately. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the key changes. Tips and Gratuities — First-Time Regulation For the first time, Saskatchewan law directly regulates tips and gratuities. Under the new provisions: Employers cannot withhold, deduct from, or redirect tips or gratuities that belong to employees. Tip pooling arrangements are permitted , but must be administered fairly and transparently. Owners and directors are generally excluded from participating in tip pools — unless they regularly perform substantially the same work as the tipped employees. This is a landmark change for Saskatchewan's hospitality, food service, and personal care industries. Employers should document any tip pooling policy in writing and ensure it complies with the new rules. Extended Sick Leave (12 Weeks → 27 Weeks) Bill 5 increases the maximum duration of long-term serious illness leave from 12 weeks to 27 weeks . This change aligns Saskatchewan with the federal Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefit duration, ensuring employees on serious illness leave can access the full period of EI benefits without losing job protection. Sick Note Restrictions Employers can now only request a medical certificate in limited circumstances: The employee's absence exceeds 5 consecutive days , or The employee has had 2 or more non-consecutive absences in the preceding 12 months. This reduces unnecessary burden on the healthcare system and limits employer overreach for short absences. Pregnancy Loss and Maternity Leave Employees who experience a pregnancy loss are now eligible for maternity leave within 20 weeks of the expected due date , providing critical support during a difficult time. Interpersonal Violence Leave — Expanded The existing entitlement of 10 days (5 paid + 5 unpaid) remains, but Bill 5 adds a new entitlement of 16 weeks of unpaid continuous leave for employees affected by interpersonal violence. This extended leave allows time for relocation, legal proceedings, counselling, or other recovery needs. Bereavement Leave — More Flexible Bereavement leave can now be taken within 6 months of the death of a close relative, rather than immediately following the death. The definition of "close relative" has been expanded to capture a broader range of family and family-like relationships. Group Termination Threshold Increased The threshold for triggering group termination notice obligations has been raised from 10 employees to 25 employees . Employers laying off fewer than 25 workers within a defined period are no longer subject to the enhanced group termination notice requirements. Other Notable Bill 5 Changes Retail scheduling: Employees in retail are no longer entitled to 2 consecutive days off per week; the requirement is now 1 day off . Modified work arrangements: Part-time employees working fewer than 30 hours per week are now eligible to request modified work arrangements. Calendar day flexibility: Employers may define a "workday" as either a calendar day or a 24-hour period , providing scheduling flexibility for shift-based operations. Legislative review cycle: The Act will now be reviewed every 10 years , changed from the previous 5-year cycle. Beyond the Bill 5 amendments, Saskatchewan employers must remain compliant with the foundational standards set out in The Saskatchewan Employment Act . Below is a summary of the core requirements in 2026. Minimum Wage Saskatchewan's general minimum wage is $15.35 per hour , effective October 1, 2025. This rate applies to most employees covered by provincial employment standards. Employers should monitor s saskatchewan.ca for any future adjustments, as the province periodically reviews the rate. Hours of Work and Overtime Standard overtime rules in Saskatchewan are among the most straightforward in Canada: Overtime pay at 1.5 times the employee's regular wage is required after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week , whichever calculation benefits the employee. With the new Bill 5 calendar day flexibility, employers can now define the "workday" as a calendar day or a 24-hour period — but overtime thresholds remain unchanged. Employers in industries with variable scheduling (e.g., mining, oil and gas, healthcare) should review whether the 24-hour period definition better suits their operations and document the chosen definition clearly in employment agreements. Vacation Entitlements Saskatchewan provides more generous vacation entitlements than most Canadian provinces: After 1 year of employment: 3 weeks of vacation (vacation pay of 5.77% of gross earnings). After 10 years of employment: 4 weeks of vacation (vacation pay of 7.69% of gross earnings). By comparison, many pr