With the advent of open communication mediums and a rising awareness regarding Human Rights and Employee Privileges, the cost of violation of employee standards is consistently rising. According to a report highlighting the cost of sexual harassment for organisations by The Globe and Mail, legal actions that included previous precedents could lead to the payment of damages worth 12,000 to 50,000 for companies.
Hence, it is crucial for business owners to be informed about the legislation determining the terms and conditions of employment in Edmonton. The key directive determining the policies for compensation and conduct for most organizations in Alberta is the Employment Standards Code and Employment Standards Regulation. Referring to a lawyer for Edmonton employment regulations can help businesses avoid unnecessary litigations at a later stage.
Here are the key Edmonton employment regulations that businesses need to maintain compliance with:
Defining an Employee
According to the Employment Standards Code, an employee is an individual who is engaged by another employer, entity or organisation to perform a certain set of duties in lieu of a pre-determined wage or compensation.
It is crucial to keep in mind that any individual who receives payment for completing a certain task is not necessarily an employee. Hence, individual contractors cannot be considered as employees as an employee necessitates the presence of an employer-employee contract/relationship.
Hours of Work
Not including emergency circumstances and specific professions, it is essential for employers to ensure that an employee is not required to work for a time period extending 12 hours in a 24- hour timeline. It is also binding for managers and business owners to provide a break of 30 minutes between 5 hour work shifts and a rest period of 8 hours between two 12 hour shifts.
If an employee works for a time limit exceeding 8 hours a day or 44 hours a week, it is obligatory for the employer to compensate him with a payment 1.5 times greater than his regular wage. Depending on the estimate which provides greater recompense, employees can be waged for overtime on a per day or per month basis.
Conditions and jobs which necessitate employees to work beyond these limitations have been separately included in Alberta’s Employment Standard Codes and are not regulated by these mandates.
Payment of Wages
Every worker in Edmonton is eligible for a minimum wage of $13.60 per hour in case of general employees and liquor servers, $542 per week, in case of salespersons and $2582 per month in case of domestic employees.
These minimum wages are directed to increase post 1st October 2018 to $15 per hour for liquor servers and general employees and $598 per week and $2848 per month for salespersons and domestic employees, respectively.
Consulting a lawyer for Edmonton employment can help owners understand these regulations comprehensively. Book a consultation with our legal experts to know more.