The Labour Bulletin, March 2026

Guidance and information for employers - Self ID

The Labour Program at ESDC recently launched new tools and guidance for employers:

• Workforce survey template
• Guidance and tools for conducting self-identification campaign
• Employee resource groups

These tools will help:

• employees identify as members of designated groups for employment equity, and
• employers achieve equality in the workplace

The Behavioural Insights Team Canada:

• engaged with employers, and
• developed the documents with the Labour Program

The documents build on findings on people who choose to not identify to their employers.

Read the Research summary: Underreporting by members of designated groups.

For questions, email the Workplace Equity Team at ee-eme@servicecanada.gc.ca.

Joint Labour Program-Privy Council Office Impact Canada pilot for 2026 funding cycle

The next Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity (WORBE) funding cycle will use Impact Canada's outcomes-based model. This will ensure that funding is linked to clear and measurable results.

An independent evaluator will help WORBE projects set a starting point and track progress over time. A review committee with experts will check if proposals are practical and are likely to succeed.

Data will be collected and studied to understand the impact of the funding. These steps will help us see what is changing in workplaces and make it easier to report results.

Tackling misclassification - The CRA and LP-ESDC

The Labour Program at Employment and Social Development Canada (LP-ESDC) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) are working together to tackle worker misclassification.

Changes to the Income Tax Act and Excise Tax Act were included in the Budget Implementation Act, No. 1. When these changes come into force, the CRA will be able to share taxpayer and confidential information with LP-ESDC.

These changes build on the Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) signed by both departments on March 3, 2025.

For more details about the ISA, check out the second edition of The Labour Bulletin.

Joint operations - Commercial trucking inspection stations

The Labour Program's National Misclassification Team works with federal and provincial partners at commercial trucking inspection stations. Their activities focus on raising awareness about misclassification in the trucking industry.

This fall, joint operations were held in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta.

These activities:

• informed hundreds of drivers about misclassification and their rights under the Canada Labour Code
• helped gather information on possible misclassification, and
• identified new trucking companies to ensure compliance with the Canada Labour Code

Partners included:

• the Canada Revenue Agency, and
• provincial agencies such as workers' compensation boards

These collaborations aim to strengthen compliance and protect workers.

Check out the Misclassification in the Trucking Industry Awareness Kit and Misclassification: Know your rights video.

The WEPP maximum payment for 2026

The annual maximum WEPP payment is equivalent to seven times the maximum weekly insurable earnings under the Employment Insurance Act.

As of January 1, 2026, the maximum WEPP payment is set at $9,275.00.

Federal minimum wage

The federal minimum wage increases annually on April 1. In 2026, it was set at $18.15 per hour.

Details on federal minimum wage can be found at pay and minimum wage, deductions, and wage recovery.

General holiday and vacation requirements

Federally regulated employees are entitled to paid vacation and general holidays under the Canada Labour Code.

General holiday pay gives employees 10 paid days off on specific days, such as Canada Day or New Years Day. These days are set by law, and all eligible employees are entitled to them regardless of how long they have worked.

A general holiday calculator is available to estimate general holiday entitlement and pay.

Vacation pay is earned over time. It is based on a percentage of the employee's wages before taxes and deductions.

Employees can earn the following amount of paid vacation time off based on length of their employment, after:

• 1 year, at least 2 weeks of vacation
• 5 years, 3 weeks, and
• 10 years, 4 weeks

Vacation pay is calculated based on wages before taxes and deductions, as follows:

• 4% after one year
• 6% after five years, and
• 8% after ten years

A vacation pay calculator is available to assist you in determining vacation entitlements.

Learn more about annual vacations and general holiday entitlements.

Group termination of employment

Employers who plan to terminate the employment of 50 or more employees working at a single industrial establishment within a 4-week period, must:

• give 16 weeks' written notice to the Head of Compliance and Enforcement (HOCE)
• send copies of the notice to:
  • the Minister of Employment and Social Development
  • the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, and
  • any unions representing affected employees or to the employees if they are not represented by a union
• create a Joint Planning Committee. This committee is responsible for developing an adjustment program to minimize the impacts of the job losses on employees, and
• provide employees with a statement of benefits within no less than two weeks of the employee's termination of employment date

Employers can request a waiver of these requirements.

Employers can provide notice as well as submit a waiver request using:

• Notice to the HOCE and waiver request form, or
• another written document containing all the required information

Waiver requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. The Minister of Labour decides if the waiver is approved. Even with a waiver, employees keep their rights to severance and other pay.

Learn more about group termination.

What's new - Labour standards legislation and regulations

As of December 12, 2025, Part III of the Code and the Canada Labour Standards Regulations now include new job-protected leave related to pregnancy loss and updating bereavement leave for the death of a child.

These new leaves support employees by giving them time to grieve, recover, and care for their health and family.

Hazardous occurrence investigation recording and reporting

Employers must report hazardous occurrences to the Labour Program.

Reports must be made within a specific timeline depending on the type of occurrence. The timelines and method of reporting include:

• by telephone: as soon as possible and report within 24 hours after becoming aware of an occurrence
• in writing: Report within 14 days of the occurrence

To report the occurrence in writing, employers can use:

• the Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Report (LAB 1070), or
• another document with all information the form requests the Labour Program considers acceptable

Employers can contact the Labour Program at:

• District offices, and
• toll free in Canada at 1-800-641-4049

Find out more online about Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Recording and Reporting.

Hazard alerts

2025-2026 occupational health and safety blitzes

Strengthening worker protections - Review of the Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) framework

The Administrative Monetary Penalties (Canada Labour Code) Regulations (AMPs Regulations) came into force in January 1, 2021.

The Labour Program is now conducting a review of the AMPs framework under the Canada Labour Code.

This provides an opportunity to:

• assess how well the AMPs framework is working, and
• identify potential areas for improvement

The review includes assessing potential changes to the AMPs Regulations schedules:

• 1 (occupational health and safety)
• 2 (labour standards), and
• 3 (base penalty amounts)

The following updates are now in place:

• The Labour Program may impose:
  • a separate AMP for each day a violation continues
  • an AMP without waiting for the review or appeal of a compliance order or direction to be finished
• The Labour Program will now publish the names of employers who commit type "A" violations, in addition to those who commit type "B" to "E" violations, and
• compliance orders now warn employers that failure to show proof of corrective action will result in a determination, on reasonable grounds, that non‑compliance continues

Check out the updated AMPs Interpretation Policy Guideline (IPG).

The Labour Program anticipates consultations on potential changes to the Administrative Monetary Penalties (Canada Labour Code) Regulations to begin in 2026.