First published on Thursday, June 25, 2026
Last updated on Thursday, June 25, 2026
Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we take a look at the 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.
New pay transparency rules for New Brunswick
If you’re an employer in New Brunswick, take note: the province's new Pay Transparency Act is now in force. Bill 24 received Royal Assent on June 12, 2026, which means your recruitment practices must be updated immediately
Employers must now include a wage or salary range in all job postings, and you can no longer ask job candidates about their current or previous compensation. The new legislation bans employers from using job applicants pay history to make hiring decisions.
This means you must review your recruitment processes without delay:
Job posting templates must be updated to include salary ranges,
Compensation history questions should be taken out of application forms
You must train your hiring managers to limit the risk of noncompliance.
With the new legislation fully in place, you’ll also have future reporting obligations to help improve pay transparency across all workplaces. It’ll be introduced over the next few years, so if you operate a larger business, my advice is to start preparing now by reviewing your payroll and how you collect and store HR data.
PEI employers face major employment standards changes
Workplace policies in Prince Edward Island will need a review because starting June 30, 2026, significant updates to the Employment Standards Act and Regulations come into force, introducing a few new requirements that could impact your day-to-day operations.
There are a few key changes, but one of the most notable ones is that the standard work week is being reduced to 44 hours, and you must provide employees with written work schedules at least seven days in advance. Plus, payroll deductions will generally be capped at 10% unless a separate agreement is in place.
Other things changing include expanding leave entitlements for employees and workers getting access to faster vacation accrual and additional sick leave protections.
It’s also important to note that you can no longer request medical notes for short-term absences covered under the legislation.
These changes come with increased enforcement measures, including significant penalties for employers who don’t comply. With only a few days until the new rules take effect, make sure your workplace documents, policies and employments agreements are updated in line with the latest requirements.
Employers can also consult with HR experts for support with updating documents like your employee handbook plus general guidance to help keep your business compliant.
New privacy bill raises the bar for HR, AI and employee data
There’s a new shift in how Canadian employers handle employee data, with the introduction of Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act (PPCDA), tabled June 15, 2026.
The proposed legislation modernizes Canada’s private-sector privacy framework, meaning employee privacy will be treated as a fundamental right with significantly stronger compliance expectations for employers.
If this bill is passed, it would expose organizations to penalties of up to $25 million or 5% of global revenue for serious violations.
For HR teams and employers, the changes go far beyond policy updates. You would need meaningful consent when collecting data and use plain language explanations for how personal data is collected and used. This might be a challenge if you have complex onboarding systems and internal HR platforms.
One of the most impactful areas for employers is the regulation of AI in hiring. You’d be required to disclose when automated systems are used for hiring decisions like resume screening, ranking candidates or scheduling interviews.
It’s still under legislative review, but the direction is clear: employers should begin mapping employee data, reviewing AI hiring tools, and understanding where personal information is stored to stay ahead of future compliance demands.
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!
