What do we do?
We provide Employment Standards, Occupational Health and Safety and Labour Relations information to employers, workers, workplace consultants and other Albertans. The information helps employers manage their workplaces, and assists workers in getting paid, staying safe at work and resolving labour disputes.
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
Occupational Health and Safety promotes health and safety through partnerships, education and enforcement of the OHS Act.
OHS is different than the Workers’ Compensation Board:
- 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.
Labour Relations
The government provides a fair and balanced framework for labour relations and the resolution of disputes.
In addition to developing policy, the government provides information on labour relations trends and issues and on collective bargaining agreements.
Mediation Services appoints mediators to assist parties in resolving collective bargaining disputes and appoints arbitrators to resolve grievance disputes.
Mediators are appointed by the Director of Mediation Services from a Designated Mediator Roster. Once a mediator is appointed, their job is to assist parties in resolving a collective bargaining dispute.
If parties cannot resolve their differences through mediation, the Labour Relations Code describes the processes for strikes and lockouts, and various Dispute Resolution Methods including compulsory arbitration.
Does the legislation apply to me?
Employments Standards, Occupational Health and Safety, and Labour Relations 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 and 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.
NOTE: The Employment Standards Code includes sections regarding investigations and inspections that can result from complaints regarding an employer. For further information, see Legislation and Enforcement.
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.
Labour Relations
Labour relations describes the relationships between employers, unions and employees covered by a collective agreement. If an employer has a collective bargaining relationship with a bargaining agent, then the Labour Relations Code or other labour legislation may apply.
What are my rights and responsibilities?
The following Employment Standards, Occupational Health and Safety, and Labour Relations information will help workers better understand their workplace rights and responsibilities.
Employment Standards
Workers’ rights and responsibilities are contained in the Employment Standards Code and Employment Standards Regulation. For more information, see A Guide to Rights and Responsibilities in Alberta Workplaces.
Occupational Health and Safety
You have a responsibility to keep yourself and others healthy and safe at your workplace. The law requires you to work safely and co-operate with your employer by following the health and safety rules of the job. For more information, see the Workers’ Guide – Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Labour Relations
Collective agreements provide terms and conditions of employment, and to some degree, the rights and responsibilities of employees who are members of a bargaining unit.
The Labour Relations Code outlines the rights and responsibilities for employees who are part of a bargaining unit, and also for the bargaining agents and employers who are involved in collective bargaining.
If you have questions about your legislated rights and responsibilities, you can contact the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB). The ALRB is an independent and impartial tribunal responsible for the day-to-day application and interpretation of Alberta's labour laws. The role of the ALRB is to interpret and apply the legislation governing collective bargaining including:
- how and under what conditions a trade union may claim the status of exclusive bargaining agent for a group of employees;
- how the employer and union must bargain to reach or renew a collective agreement;
- what kinds of union and employer conduct is prohibited; and
- when the parties to a labour dispute have recourse to a strike or lockout.
What labour relations legislation does Alberta have?
Alberta has several acts and codes that cover labour relations in the province. The Labour Relations Code covers most employers and unions, including those in health care and construction. Several regulations supplement this legislation, including:
The following acts govern labour relations for certain groups:
Public Service Employee Relations Act – covers the bargaining relationships for the provincial government and provincially appointed boards and agencies and their employees.
Police Officers Collective Bargaining Act – covers police working in the province, excluding the RCMP.
Post-secondary Learning Act – governs the bargaining relationship between academic staff and the institutions that employ them.
Burial of the Dead Act – allows the government to ensure continued service in the event of a strike or lockout that could affect the burial of persons.
I work in an industry that I think is federally regulated. Am I covered by Alberta’s employment standards, occupational health and safety and labour legislation?
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.
Are there employers who are exempt from Alberta’s employment standards and occupational health and safety legislation?
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.
Are there unionized employers not covered by Alberta’s labour relations legislation?
Yes, employers in federally regulated industries such as banking, telecommunications and interprovincial transportation are covered by federal legislation. For information, please see the Canada Labour Code.
What are Alberta’s minimum Employment Standards?
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:
For more information, see Alberta’s Employment Standards Code.
I am a unionized worker and have an employment standards problem. Where do I go for help?
You may need help if you are being laid off or believe you are being treated unfairly at work.
If your employer has a bargaining relationship with a union or employee association and, if you are a member of the bargaining unit, then you are covered by the collective agreement. However, that does not mean the problem or issue is covered by the collective agreement. A good place to start is to contact your union steward or representative. You can also talk to your employer’s human resources shop or other representative for more information. If you still need help after talking to these people, contact Employment Standards.
What kind of educational programs does Employment Standards provide?
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.
In what circumstances are employers required to notify the Minister responsible for employment standards of group layoffs?
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.
What is a workplace hazard?
A hazard is any situation, condition or thing that may be dangerous to the safety or health of workers. It has the potential to cause an injury or illness.
The OHS Code requires that the employer assess a work site and identify existing or potential hazards before work begins, and identify methods to control the hazards.
Assessing hazards means looking at anything that could harm workers and asking “what could go wrong”. This needs to be done in a systematic way to ensure that all hazards have been identified.
Once hazards have been identified they need to be eliminated or controlled.
The OHS Explanation Guide provides more information about assessing and controlling hazards.
Many health and safety associations and consultants offer courses on this as well.
Can I be fired if I refuse to do dangerous work?
You can’t be fired for following the rules of the OHS Act, Regulation or Code. If this happens, contact the OHS Contact Centre and an officer will look into the situation.
What is a collective agreement?
A collective agreement is an agreement in writing between an employer or an employers’ organization and a bargaining agent (normally a union or employee association). It contains the terms or conditions of employment, including a grievance process, for a group of employees known as a bargaining unit.
What methods are available under Alberta’s labour laws to help resolve disputes?
Alberta’s legislation provides Dispute Resolution Methods to assist in resolving collective bargaining disputes including mediation, Disputes Inquiry Boards and Compulsory Arbitration Boards.
What is the mediation of labour disputes and when does it occur?
In Alberta, before a union or association can take a legal strike vote and the employer a lockout poll, the parties must go through mediation. If parties cannot resolve their differences through mediation, the Labour Relations Code describes the processes for strikes and lockouts, and dispute resolution options including compulsory arbitration.
How does the Alberta Labour Relations Board handle strikes, lockouts and picketing?
The Board website provides information on Strikes, Lockouts and Picketing including definitions of terms and answers to questions like, “Do my benefits continue when I am on strike or locked out?” and “What happens during an illegal strike or lockout?”
