Changed recently
| Fact | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special (lower) minimum wages for students or servers | No federal student, liquor-server or farm sub-minimum; one rate applies | 2026-09-07 | Canada Labour Code, s. 178 (minimum wage) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Overtime rate | At least 1.5 times your regular rate for every overtime hour | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 174 (overtime pay) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Refusing overtime for family responsibilities | You may refuse overtime to care for a family member, in limited cases | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 174.1 (refusal of overtime) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Standard hours before overtime starts | 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 169 (standard hours of work) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Meal or rest break | 30 minutes unpaid in every 5 consecutive hours of work | 2026-09-07 | Canada Labour Code, s. 169.1 (breaks) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Notice of your schedule and of shift changes | 96 hours notice of schedule; 24 hours written notice of a shift change | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 173.01 (notice of work schedule) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Rest between shifts | At least 8 consecutive hours off in each 24-hour period you work | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 169.2 (rest period) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Severance pay (separate from notice) | The greater of 2 days pay per full year worked, or 5 days pay | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 235 (severance pay) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| When a temporary layoff becomes a termination | A layoff of 3 months or less is not a termination; longer needs recall terms | 2026-09-07 | Canada Labour Standards Regulations, s. 30 ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| How far back unpaid wages can be recovered | The Labour Program can recover up to 24 months of unpaid wages | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 251.1 (payment order) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| How to file a federal labour standards complaint | Free; a written complaint to the Labour Program, usually within 6 months | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 251.01 (filing a complaint) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Can a recruiter charge you a fee for a federally regulated job | No recruitment fee may be charged to a temporary foreign worker | 2026-09-08 | Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 209.3 (employer conditions) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Canada Labour Code presumption of employee status | A person paid remuneration is presumed an employee unless the employer proves otherwise | 2024-06-20 | Canada Labour Code, s. 167.01 (Part III) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| How a federal workplace becomes unionized | 35-50% membership triggers a representation vote; a majority certifies the union | 2026-09-08 | Canada Industrial Relations Board, Labour Relations - Certification ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Minimum age to work in a federally regulated job | 18, raised from 17 on June 12, 2023, with a transitional exception | 2023-06-12 | Canada Labour Code (RSC 1985, c. L-2), full text ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Personal leave (family, urgent matters, citizenship ceremony) | 5 days a year; first 3 paid after 3 months of employment | 2026-09-07 | Canada Labour Code, s. 206.6 (personal leave) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| Right to refuse dangerous work | You may refuse if you have reasonable cause to believe the work is a danger | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 128 (refusal to work if danger) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
| What a probation period changes federally | No statutory probation; notice starts at 3 months, job protection at 12 | 2026-09-08 | Canada Labour Code, s. 230 (notice of termination) ✓ 2026-09-09 |
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How this page is checked
Before an approved update, the checker re-opens each source and looks for the exact claim. A ✓ shows the date that last succeeded. Archived copies may support explicitly historical claims, never current applicability.
iamonmybreak publishes general information for working people. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice, and it is not a substitute for advice about your own situation. Rules differ by province and country and change over time; the date at the top of this piece is when we last checked. For your specific case, especially anything involving money you are owed, contact a free community legal clinic or your provincial or state labour standards office.