Employment Standards in Alberta

Navigating the government’s rules and regulations that come along with having employees can be a lot of work for any business owner. Research is required to ensure that both sides of the employer-employee relationship are respected and protected, and the documents available on the topic contain a lot of information that can be difficult to read through.

Rulebooks

In Alberta, two main documents serve as rulebooks to businesses in managing their employees’ payment of earnings (including overtime and general holiday pay), hours of work, days of rest and vacation, special leaves, termination of employment, restrictions and exemptions. These documents are the Employment Standards Code, and the Employment Standards Regulation.

In many cases, small business owners are passionate about the work that needs to be done, and are not so excited about making sure the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed when it comes to human resources and payroll. This can sometimes result in a non-compliant situation that could put your business in an expensive and time-consuming predicament. If you need assistance in understanding how the rules apply to you, our payroll department can help make sense of it all.

Other Resources

Alberta Employment Standards has done a remarkable job of creating fact sheets for those looking for quick answers. They also occasionally offer free in-person workshops and online webinars that provide insight into Alberta’s Employment Standards Code and Regulation.

Have you attended a workshop or webinar offered by Alberta Employment Standards? Was it a useful tool to the operation of your business? Please leave a comment below to share your experience.