Workers may have concerns about health and safety conditions at their workplace, or about pay, vacation or other employment conditions.

Employment Standards

If you have concerns about pay, hours of work, vacation and similar matters, you may file a complaint. There are two ways to file a complaint with Employment Standards. You can submit a complaint electronically or complete the Complaint by Employee Form.

Occupational Health and Safety

If you believe something is unsafe at your workplace you can file a complaint by completing a form online or by calling the OHS Contact Centre. You will be asked to explain your concerns in detail.

If you are reporting an immediately dangerous situation, do not use this form. Please call the OHS Contact Centre.

Employers may file an appeal of an order under the Employment Standards Code or the OHS Act. Information for both processes is provided here:

Employment Standards

An employer may file an Employment Standards appeal with the Umpire in the following circumstances:

• where an employer disagrees with an order of officer;
• where an employer is affected by a single employer declaration issued by the Director of Employment Standards;
• where an employer disagrees with the Director’s collection notice;
• where an employer disagrees with the Director’s reinstatement order of an employee or a compensation order;
• where a director of a corporation disagrees with the certificate issued by the Director of Employment Standards; and
• where an employer is affected by a minimum wage exemption permit.

The notice of appeal must be received by the Employment Standards Registrar within 21 days of the date of service, or be postmarked by the Canada Post Corporation within 21 days from the date of service. To learn more, see the Employment Standards Umpire Hearing Fact Sheet.

Occupational Health and Safety

An employer may file an appeal of an order under the OHS Act. An order issued by OHS can be appealed by serving a notice of the appeal to a Director of Inspection within 30 days from the date the order was served. Once received, the appeal will be heard by the Occupational Health and Safety Council.

If the officer determines that the employee is not owed any money, the officer will issue a formal Decision of Officer. The Decision, along with reasons, will be served on the employee as well as a Notice Of Appeal form. The employer will be informed of the decision.  See the Complaint Resolution Process Fact Sheet.

Employers may wish to apply for a permit to either Employment Standards or Occupational Health and Safety. Information for both is provided below:

Employment Standards

An employer may apply to the Director of Employment Standards for a permit in the following situations:

• Adolescent employees (ages 12, 13 and 14)
• Extended Hours of Work
• Extended Days of Work
• Extension to Overtime Banking Period

Occupational Health and Safety

In Alberta, any worker who handles, prepares, fires, burns or destroys an explosive must hold a valid permit issued by the Ministry or a valid inter-provincial permit acceptable to the department.

If an officer determines through an investigation that an employee is entitled to money, that officer would request that the employer voluntarily pay. If the employer does not pay, a formal order will be issued. If the order is not appealed or the appeal period passes, the order will be filed with the court and can be enforced against the employer.

For information on these options, see the following fact sheets:

• Collecting an Employment Standards Judgment
• Complaint Resolution Process

Employment Standards staff provide hands-on training designed to provide employers and other participants with a better understanding of their rights and obligations under the Employment Standards Code. For more information on workshops, or to register, see Education and Promotion.

An employer who intends to terminate 50 or more employees from a single location is required by law to provide the Minister with four weeks’ written notice of their intention to do so. See Notice to Minister of Group Termination/Layoffs.

An acceptance allows an employer to use a tool, appliance, piece of equipment, process, or first aid service, supplies or equipment different than what is specified in the legislation. The alternative must provide equal or greater protection to workers than what is required by legislation.

An acceptance must be applied for by an employer, and is granted by a Director (of Inspections, Medical Services or Occupational Hygiene, as appropriate).

The acceptance is specific to the employer applying for it, and will have terms and conditions prescribed by the Director.

For more information or to apply, please contact OHS at 1‑780‑427‑2687.

In order to work with asbestos, workers and employers must follow the OHS Code. The Code requires that employers give advance notification of asbestos projects. A Notification of Project can be submitted by completing a copy of the notification form, and sent either by email or fax.

We provide Employment Standards and Occupational Health and Safety information for workplace consultants.

Employment Standards

Employment Standards helps Alberta employers and employees understand and follow employment standards through:

• Telephone counselling services
• Educational programs
• Investigations and compliance initiatives

Telephone Counselling Services

Telephone counselling services are available through the Employment Standards Contact Centre: 1‑877‑427‑3731 or dial 780‑427‑3731 in Edmonton and surrounding areas.

Counsellors can address a broad range of employment standards questions and issues during regular business hours (8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

Recorded messages on core employment standards are available 24 hours a day.

Employers and employees who fall under federal jurisdiction should contact the Federal Labour Program of Human Resources and Social Development Canada at 1-866-713-4397 for information about their rights and responsibilities.  For more information about workplaces under federal jurisdiction, see Federal Legislation.

Educational Programs

Employment Standards provides hands-on training designed to provide employers and other participants with a better understanding of their rights and obligations under the Employment Standards Code. For more information on workshops, or to register, see Education and Promotion.

Investigations and compliance initiatives

When employees believe they have received less than minimum employment standards and are unable to resolve the matter with their employer, Employment Standards will investigate the matter on receipt of a written complaint.

Employees who want to file a complaint with Employment Standards must file within six months of the date on which their employment terminated. See the Complaint Resolution Process Fact Sheet.

For more information on employer and employee obligations under the Employment Standards Code, and the dispute resolution process, see The Employment Standards Compliance Policy.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

Occupational Health and Safety promotes health and safety through partnerships, education and enforcement of the OHS Act, Regulation and Code.  For more information, refer to the Employers Guide and Workers Guide on the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

OHS is different than the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB):

• OHS is a branch of the government (part of Employment and Immigration) while the WCB is an independent organization that is entirely funded by employer contributions.
• OHS focuses on prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses while the WCB is an insurance program that helps injured workers return to work and obtain compensation for lost wages.

Employments Standards and Occupational Health and Safety legislation applies in the following circumstances:

Employment Standards

Nearly all employers and their employees in Alberta are subject to the standards set out in the Employment Standards Code the Regulation. The Code applies to employers who employ part-time, full-time, casual, temporary, student, pieceworker, commissioned sales and salaried employees. The legislation also applies to union members or those covered by collective agreements.   Collective agreements must meet at least the minimum employment standards.

Occupational Health and Safety

The OHS Act applies to most workers and employers in Alberta.  The Act sets standards for the protection of workers throughout the province.

The federal government, its agencies and boards, and other federally regulated industries such as banking, telecommunications and interprovincial transportation fall under the jurisdiction of federal employment standards, occupational health and safety and labour legislation. 

To find out if you are a federally regulated business or industry, please contact Federal Employment Standards.

Employment Standards

Yes, certain minimum standards do not apply to farm or ranch employers engaged in certain listed primary production, or primary agricultural employers who produces cultured fish.  Also exempted from certain minimum standards are those who employ:

• ambulance attendants
• caregivers
• construction industry employees
• oilwell servicing industry employees
• taxi cab industry employees
• trucking industry employees
• others listed in the Regulation

To learn more, please see the Employment Standards Regulation.

Occupational Health and Safety

Some industries and occupations are exempt from Alberta’s OHS legislation. They include:

• domestic workers, such as nannies or housekeepers
• farmers and certain agricultural workers

To learn more, please see the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations.

Employment Standards has no jurisdiction to act on behalf of an employee when an employer is in bankruptcy. Complaints are not accepted by Employment Standards once an employer is in bankruptcy.

A receivership has no effect on the jurisdiction of Employment Standards to accept and investigate complaints, but it does affect the way in which complaints are resolved.

For more information, see the following fact sheets:

• Bankruptcies
• Receivership

The minimum standards of employment are set out in the employment standards legislation. All Alberta employers are expected to fully comply with them. The core standards are described in the following fact sheets:

• Employees Under Age 18
• Employment Standards Tool Kit for Employer
• General Holidays and  General Holiday Pay
• Hours of Work, Rest Periods and Days of Rest
• Maternity Leave and Parental Leave
• Minimum Wage
• Overtime Hours and Overtime Pay
• Payment of Earnings
• Reservists Leave
• Termination of Employment and Termination Pay
• Vacations and Vacation Pay

For more information, see Alberta’s Employment Standards Code.

Employment Standards staff provide hands-on training designed to provide employers and other participants with a better understanding of their rights and obligations under the Employment Standards Code. For more information on workshops, or to register, see Education and Promotion.

The law requires an employer intending to terminate the employment of 50 or more employees from a single location to provide the Minister with four weeks written notice of its intention to do so. For more information, see Notice to Minister of Group Termination/Layoffs.

For information on  temporary foreign workers, including how to contact the Temporary Foreign Workers Advisory Office, visit the temporary foreign worker section.

Albertans can now see information about worksite injuries and fatalities involving over 140,000 employers insured by the Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta (WCB). Information can be searched by employer, by industry and by town or city. Start your search.

Employment and Immigration conducts a periodic review of suggestions for changes to the OHS Code. The process for updating the Code is currently under review. To stay informed about the Code review process, including your opportunity for input into the consultation process, subscribe to Occupational Health and Safety eNews.

A Certificate of Recognition is awarded through the Partnerships in Injury Reduction Program to employers who develop health and safety programs that meet established standards. Certificates are issued by Alberta Employment and Immigration and are co-signed by Certifying Partners.

The OHS Code Explanation Guide presents information that helps clarify the intent or application of each "rule" or "section" of the OHS Code. It does not provide "interpretations" of legal requirements as it is not a legislated document.

A technical standard establishes uniform technical criteria, methods, equipment and practices. It is issued by a recognized standards organization, such as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). When referenced in the OHS Code, it becomes a mandatory requirement.

For more information, see CSA standards referenced in the OHS Code.

For all other technical standards referenced in the Code, go to the standard-setting organization.