First published on Thursday, January 8, 2026
Last updated on Thursday, January 8, 2026
Welcome to our final HR Heartbeat of 2025, where we’re taking a look at this year’s most pressing HR and employment law stories, month by month.
Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we take a look at the week’s most pressing HR and employment law stories. With over a decade of experience working within the HR and employment law industry, I give my opinion on current trends impacting your business, as well as my own personal commentary on all things HR and legal.
What’s new in Saskatchewan?
For employers in Saskatchewan, 2026’s kicking off with some meaningful changes you need to keep on your radar.
From January 1st, new employment standards are officially in force, meaning more flexibility for employers and stronger employee protection.
For employers, you can no longer withhold staff tips, requests for sicknotes can only be made in specific situations and leave entitlements have increased. Employees now have more flexibility around bereavement leave including losses of close relatives and pregnancy loss. The Director of Employment Standards also has new authority to order reinstatement and back pay in discrimination cases.
Employees will also get some welcome breathing room. Work schedules and overtime can now be calculated by calendar day instead of strict 24-hour periods, and the threshold for group termination has gone up from 10 to 25 employees.
These updates aim to reduce admin headaches and tighten protections. That’s why it’s important to review your policies now and update them where necessary to avoid future risks.
Ontario’s new hiring rules take effect
2026 is shaping up to bring even bigger shifts for more provinces as Ontario makes updates to how employers advertise and manage job openings. Starting January 1st, employers with 25 or more employees must include a specific salary or pay range in all publicly posted jobs. You also need to disclose bonuses, commissions and other compensation.
The goal of this is simple: more transparency for job seekers. They deserve to know what a role pays and how they’ll be evaluated before they invest time in applying. The sentiment also applies to candidates as three quarters of Canadian applicants agree they’re likely more to apply to jobs transparent about pay.
Another change coming is ending ‘ghosting’ in recruitment. All interviewed candidates must be notified of your hiring decision within 45 days of their final interview.
It’s a reasonable expectation, but it also means hiring teams must tighten up tracking and communication.
So more employers will likely need more support with providing clarity for candidates, and cleaner and more disciplined recruitment processes to handle a hiring market that’s a little more upfront than before.
Landmark case: when safety failures become criminal
More than a decade after a tragic workplace death in Burnaby, a B.C. Supreme Court ruling is putting a sharp spotlight on employer accountability.
Thirteen years after a pipe layer lost their life in a trench collapse, their employer has been found guilty of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm.
The court concluded that the company failed in its most basic duty: keeping workers safe. A series of missed steps including ineffective safety procedures, lack of training, and a casual approach to hazard prevention added up to what the judge called a “marked and substantial departure” from reasonable workplace conduct.
Critically, the company relied on an ambiguous engineering certification without questioning or clarifying it, despite visible risks at the site.
This decision makes it clear that your safety responsibilities don’t end at the worksite. It’s your duty to provide proper training, oversight and structured safety planning in a high-risk environment.
Criminal charges for workplace deaths are rare in Canada, that’s why this ruling is especially significant. The message to employers is unmistakable: robust safety systems, clear procedures, and proactive risk management aren’t just regulatory obligations. When they’re missing, the consequences can extend far beyond fines into criminal liability.
And that’s a wrap from me. Come back next time for my take on the latest headlines and employment law stories, helping keep your business ahead!
