‘We’ve taken action to make workplaces more fair and transparent’
New Brunswick's legislature has passed new pay transparency rules and expanded job-protected leave for serious illness to 27 weeks from five days – changes that carry immediate consequences for how employers in the province hire and manage extended absences.
The measures were among 27 bills that received royal assent at the close of the spring session on June 12, according to a release from the Office of the Premier.
The Pay Transparency Act requires employers to include salary ranges in job postings, prohibits the use of salary history in hiring, and protects employees who discuss their wages from reprisal. The expanded leave increases job-protected unpaid leave for illness or injury recovery to 27 weeks, up from five days.
The legislature also passed measures reducing barriers for out-of-province skilled workers and apprentices.
The government had "taken action to make workplaces more fair and transparent, strengthen public services, improve accountability, and remove barriers that have held people and businesses back," said Premier Susan Holt.
Pay transparency rules
The Pay Transparency Act, introduced in March, was passed as a first step toward phasing in pay equity in the private sector. It mandates salary ranges in job postings, bars employers from using salary history in hiring decisions, and shields employees from reprisal for discussing wages.
Seniors Minister Lyne Chantal Boudreau – who is also the minister responsible for women and gender equity – called the bill "a groundbreaking step toward creating fairer workplaces in New Brunswick”. She said the "transformative legislation aligns with New Brunswick's broader efforts to combat wage disparities and establish a more inclusive and equitable economy for all."
The act is aimed at closing systemic pay gaps that the government says disproportionately affect women, gender-diverse individuals, Indigenous people, racialised women, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals.
Raphaëlle Valay-Nadeau, chair of the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, said the measure "sends a powerful message that transparency and equity are essential for building an inclusive workforce where every individual has the opportunity to thrive." She added: "Pay transparency lays the groundwork for the implementation of pay equity in the private sector."
The New Brunswick government introduced the Pay Transparency Act in March.
Job-protected illness leave
The expansion of job-protected unpaid leave to 27 weeks, from five days, narrows a gap between New Brunswick's statutory leave and the federal Employment Insurance sickness benefit, which runs to 26 weeks.
The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) said the change made job-protected leave available "in every province" in Canada. For HR teams, leave policies, accommodation practices and absence-management systems will need updating to reflect a job-protection window that now stretches past six months.
CCS said the protection matters at a time of financial pressure for affected workers, citing a 2024 report that found the average cancer patient in Canada faces nearly $33,000 in lifetime costs, including out-of-pocket expenses and lost income during treatment and recovery. "When Canadians are facing cancer, their focus should be getting better – not worrying about financial hardship and losing their job," said Andrea Seale, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, in a press release.
Seale called the legislation "an important milestone and a reflection of years of advocacy and collective action by patients, survivors, caregivers, partners and supporters across the country." Isabelle Allain-Labelle, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 35 and advocated for the change, said in the same release: "I was fortunate to have job protection from my employer, but prior to today, too many New Brunswickers with cancer didn't have that same peace of mind."
Here's a breakdown of job-protected leave rules across Canadian provinces and territories:
|
Jurisdiction |
Long-term illness/injury leave (own illness, unpaid) |
Period |
Minimum service |
Short-term statutory sick days |
In force / statute |
|
Federal (Canada Labour Code) |
Up to 27 weeks |
per medical certificate |
medical note may be required for 3+ days |
Up to 10 paid sick days/yr (accrues 1/month after 30 days) |
27 weeks since Dec 2022 |
|
British Columbia |
Up to 27 weeks |
52-week period |
not specified in sources (verify) |
5 paid + 3 unpaid days/yr (after 90 days) |
28 Nov 2025 (Bill 30) |
|
Alberta |
Up to 27 weeks |
per calendar year |
90 days |
5 unpaid days/yr (personal & family responsibility); no paid sick days |
1 Jan 2026 (up from 16) |
|
Saskatchewan |
Up to 27 weeks |
52-week period |
13 consecutive weeks |
Up to 12 unpaid days/yr (non-serious illness); no paid sick days |
1 Jan 2026 (Bill 5; up from 12) |
|
Manitoba |
Up to 27 weeks |
52-week period |
90 days (incapacity expected ≥2 weeks) |
No standalone short-term own-illness sick days |
8 Nov 2024 (Bill 9; up from 17) |
|
Ontario |
Up to 27 weeks |
52-week period |
13 consecutive weeks |
3 unpaid days/yr; no paid sick days |
19 June 2025 (long-term illness leave) |
|
Quebec |
Up to 26 weeks |
12-month period |
3 months |
First 2 days/yr paid (within a broader 10-day illness/family entitlement) |
long-standing |
|
New Brunswick |
Up to 27 weeks |
52-week period |
90+ continuous days |
(replaces former 5-day entitlement) |
Royal assent 12 June 2026 (Bill 26; up from 5 days) |
|
Nova Scotia |
Up to 27 weeks |
52-week period |
3 months |
5 unpaid days/yr; no mandated paid sick days |
1 Jan 2025 (serious illness/injury leave) |
|
Prince Edward Island |
Up to 27 weeks (see caveat) |
52-week period |
90 days (new ESA) |
Up to 3 paid (graduated by tenure) + unpaid days |
new ESA — in-force date unconfirmed |
|
Newfoundland & Labrador |
Up to 27 weeks (104 weeks if injury from a criminal offence) |
52-week period |
30 days |
7 unpaid sick/family-responsibility days/yr |
4 Dec 2024 (Bill 82) |
|
Yukon |
None (no 26/27-week framework) |
— |
— |
Up to 12 unpaid days/yr (1/month worked) |
territorial standards |
|
Northwest Territories |
None |
— |
— |
5 unpaid days/12-month period (sick or family), after 30 days |
territorial standards |
|
Nunavut |
None |
— |
— |
Up to 3 unpaid days/yr (own or family illness), after 3 months |
territorial standards |
Labour mobility
The New Brunswick legislature also passed measures reducing barriers for out-of-province skilled workers and apprentices. For employers facing skills shortages, the change could widen candidate pools and ease credential recognition for incoming hires.
As of Jan. 1, 2026, skilled workers who are already certified in a regulated occupation elsewhere in Canada can start working in Ontario within 10 business days of applying for “deemed certification,” under amendments to the province’s Labour Mobility Act.
