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.

Bill 5: The Saskatchewan Employment Amendment Act — Major Changes Effective January 1, 2026

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.

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Core Employment Standards: Minimum Wage, Hours of Work, Overtime, and Vacation

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 provinces only provide 2 weeks after the first year. Employers must ensure vacation pay is calculated correctly and that employees are given the opportunity to take their full entitlement. Vacation pay must be paid out on termination for any accrued but unused vacation.

Termination of Employment

Employers must provide written notice or pay in lieu of notice when terminating an employee without cause. Notice periods are based on length of service and are set out in the Act. As noted above, the group termination threshold has increased to 25 employees under Bill 5, which is a significant change for employers planning workforce reductions.

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Saskatchewan's 10 Public Holidays in 2026 and Leave Entitlements

Saskatchewan recognizes 10 public (statutory) holidays per year. Eligible employees are entitled to a day off with pay, or premium pay if they work on the holiday. Below are the 2026 dates:

New Year's Day — January 1, 2026
Family Day — February 16, 2026
Good Friday — April 3, 2026
Victoria Day — May 18, 2026
Canada Day — July 1, 2026
Saskatchewan Day — August 3, 2026
Labour Day — September 7, 2026
Thanksgiving Day — October 12, 2026
Remembrance Day — November 11, 2026
Christmas Day — December 25, 2026

Employees who qualify and work on a public holiday are generally entitled to 1.5 times their regular wage for hours worked, plus an additional day off with pay, or an alternative arrangement as permitted under the Act.

Summary of Key Leave Entitlements (Updated for Bill 5)

Saskatchewan provides a comprehensive suite of job-protected leaves. Here is a consolidated overview reflecting the January 2026 amendments:

Maternity leave: Up to 19 weeks (now includes eligibility following pregnancy loss within 20 weeks of due date).
Parental leave: Up to 37 weeks (or 59 weeks for extended parental benefits).
Sick leave (serious illness): Up to 27 weeks (increased from 12 weeks under Bill 5).
Interpersonal violence leave: 10 days (5 paid + 5 unpaid) plus 16 weeks unpaid continuous leave (new under Bill 5).
Bereavement leave: Up to 5 days; can now be taken within 6 months of the death; expanded definition of close relative.
Compassionate care leave: Up to 28 weeks to care for a gravely ill family member.

Employers should update employee handbooks and leave-tracking systems to reflect the new durations and eligibility rules. Sick note requests must now comply with the 5-consecutive-day / 2-absence threshold described earlier.

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Key Takeaways

Bill 5 (Saskatchewan Employment Amendment Act) took effect January 1, 2026, bringing the most sweeping changes to Saskatchewan employment standards in years — including first-ever tip and gratuity protections.
Employers can no longer withhold tips from employees; tip pooling is allowed but owners and directors are generally excluded unless they perform the same work.
Long-term serious illness leave has been doubled from 12 weeks to 27 weeks, aligning with federal EI sickness benefit duration.
Sick note requests are now restricted: employers may only require a medical certificate after 5+ consecutive days of absence or 2+ non-consecutive absences in 12 months.
Interpersonal violence leave now includes 16 weeks of unpaid continuous leave in addition to the existing 10 days (5 paid + 5 unpaid).
Bereavement leave is more flexible — it can be taken within 6 months of the death, and the definition of close relative has been broadened.
Saskatchewan's minimum wage is $15.35/hour (effective October 1, 2025), overtime is payable at 1.5x after 8 hours/day or 40 hours/week, and vacation entitlements (3 weeks after 1 year, 4 weeks after 10 years) are more generous than most provinces.
The group termination notice threshold has increased from 10 to 25 employees — a significant change for employers planning layoffs.
Saskatchewan recognizes 10 public holidays in 2026; employers must ensure eligible employees receive proper holiday pay or time off.
Part-time employees working fewer than 30 hours per week are now eligible to request modified work arrangements under the amended Act.