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Working

Employers cannot treat you unfairly, fire you or refuse to hire you based on things like your race, religion, nationality or sex.  See Human Rights for more information.

You have rights as a worker. These rights are for everyone who works in Saskatchewan.  You do not have to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to have these rights. If you are working in Saskatchewan, you have these rights. If your workplace is unionized these rules may be modified.

There are rules that set out things like the minimum amount you can be paid per hour, overtime rates, time off and what happens if your employer wants to fire you.

You must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work in Canada and to have access to certain government programs and benefits. More information is available from Employment and Social Development Canada.

In Saskatchewan it is against the law for anyone to charge a fee for finding you a job or hiring you. Employment Agencies cannot sell information about employers that are hiring.

Pay

Laws set out the minimum wage workers can be paid, how often workers must be paid and what deductions employers are allowed to make.

Work Days

Workers are entitled to breaks, rest time between shifts, days off and overtime pay. There are some exceptions to these rules.

Time Off

Workers who have worked for the same employer for a year or more are entitled to paid vacation. On public holidays, workers are entitled to either the day off with pay or extra pay if they work the holiday. Workers are also entitled to unpaid leave in some circumstances.

Leaving or Losing Your Job

Employers can fire you or lay you off at any time, but they cannot fire you because you are on a leave or because of something like your sex or nationality. In most cases employers need to give you notice that you are going to lose your job or give you pay instead of notice.

Complaints

You can contact Employment Standards if you think your employer has not respected your rights as an employee. It does not cost anything to have them look into the situation. Your employer cannot fire you because you made a complaint to Employment Standards.