Several amendments to the Saskatchewan Employment Act concerning employee leave rights will come into effect on January 1, 2026, that will require updates to leave management policies. The Saskatchewan government states that the amendments are intended to provide additional support to provincial workers while also helping employers run their businesses efficiently. Here are the changes in employee leave rights Saskatchewan employers should know about to treat their employees fairly and avoid potentially costly compliance mistakes.
- Serious Injury or Illness Leave: The duration of Serious Injury or Illness Leave will be extended from 12 weeks to 27 weeks, aligning the leave with federal employment insurance benefits and protecting workers’ jobs while they receive benefits.
- Interpersonal Violence Leave: Employees encountering interpersonal or sexual violence will be entitled to a new unpaid leave of up to 16 weeks, to be taken continuously within a 52-week period. The leave can be used for several reasons, such as receiving medical care, counseling, victim services, seeking legal or law enforcement help, or relocating for safety reasons. The new Interpersonal or Sexual Violence Leave is on top of an already existing Interpersonal Violence Leave entitlement, which includes five paid and five unpaid days that may be taken consecutively or intermittently.
- Bereavement Leave: Currently, bereavement leave must be taken for the death of an employee’s immediate family member between one week before and one week after the family member’s funeral. The amendment enlarges the bereavement leave entitlement by allowing workers to take the five-day leave any time within six months after the family member’s death. Additionally, bereavement leave was extended to cover a pregnancy loss of the employee, the employee’s immediate family member, or any other person if the employee would have been a parent to the other person’s newborn child (e.g., surrogacy).
- Maternity Leave: This leave will be expanded to include employees who experience a pregnancy loss not more than 20 weeks before the estimated date of birth. Before the amendment, employees experiencing a pregnancy loss could take maternity leave only if their pregnancies terminated 13 weeks or less before the estimated date of birth.
- Medical Certifications: Employers can no longer request medical certificates from employees for absences due to illness or injury unless the employee has been absent for more than five consecutive working days or has had two or more non-consecutive absences of two or more working days in the previous 12 months.
These amendments to leave requirements under the Saskatchewan Employment Act will require employers to update their HR policies, employee handbooks, and employment contracts, as well as change their employment practices to comply with the new legislation. Employers should also train HR and management teams on the new leave entitlements to avoid compliance issues, possible lawsuits, and penalties. Finally, employers may wish to meet with their workers to answer any questions they may have regarding their expanded leave rights.
Learn more about navigating leave management with resources that will help your organization stay up to date with ever-changing labor laws, emerging issues, and new guidance in the Compliance Navigator hub.
