LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minimum Wage

Aug 11: For the first time in 10 years, New Brunswick is holding public consultations on its minimum wage. On the table is not just the minimum wage amount but how and how often it’s determined. The minimum wage is currently updated annually on April 1 based on the consumer price index. Deadline to comment: October 9.

Action Point: Find out how to avoid common payroll errors when adjusting to minimum wage increases.

New Laws

Jul 23: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen regional electricity planning. The three provinces will work with Natural Resources Canada to identify opportunities to strengthen regional electricity infrastructure, improve system reliability, and support growing electricity demand across Atlantic Canada.

New Laws

Aug 10: The federal government is offering oyster harvesters in New Brunswick a one-time payment of $40,000 for voluntarily agreeing to the permanent retirement of their wild oyster licences and permits. The new Oyster Licence Retirement Grant Program is designed to ease pressure on wild oyster stocks which have diminished by the spread of the diseases MSX and Dermo.

New Laws

Jul 28: Mineral developer Canadian Copper Inc. became the new owner of the Caribou Mine near Bathurst has a new owner, acquiring the mine through the receivership proceedings of former owner Trevali Mining (New Brunswick) Ltd. The project, which is expected to start in 2027, will create about 230 jobs during the construction phase and about 115 permanent positions during operations.

New Laws

Aug 11: The City of Moncton and the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) are jointly investing over $25 million to expand the sewer and stormwater infrastructure needed to build up to 1,300 new homes in the city. The section of road affected by the underground works will be rebuilt and widened to four lanes, including an integrated multi-purpose trail for active transportation.

Immigration

Aug 11: New Brunswick will receive nearly $10 million from the federal Foreign Credential Recognition Program to reduce barriers to credential recognition and accelerate labour market integration for internationally trained professionals and tradespeople. The money will be distributed through three branches of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour—WorkingNB, post-secondary relations, and Skilled Trades NB—with a focus on professionals in healthcare, engineering, skilled trades, and education.

Action Point: Find out about the 5 ways the new interprovincial free trade and labour mobility regulations impact HR operations.

New Laws

Jul 29: New Brunswick firm Ocean Steel & Construction Ltd. will receive $750,000 in federal Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) funding to modernize its fabrication operations by installing advanced Computer Numerical Control (CNC) cutting equipment, automated plate handling systems, and robotic welding technology. The upgrades will improve efficiency and competitiveness, enhance digitalization, and bolster safety.

Action Point: Find out about the 8 ways the U.S. tariffs affect Canadian workplaces and HR activities.

Accessibility

Jul 22: New Brunswick signed onto the new nationwide memorandum of understanding under which the federal government, provinces, and territories promised to work together to boost accessibility and align accessibility standards across Canada.

Action Point: Find out how to implement a legally sound Website Accessibility Policy.

Health & Safety

Jul 3: WorkSafeNB published a new one-page pamphlet summarizing employers’ duty to protect workers against harmful noise. New Brunswick employers must implement a code of practice if workers may be exposed to noise above occupational exposure limits listed in the OHS regulations.

Workplace Violence

Aug 1: From now through September 11, New Brunswick will hold public consultations on proposed new regulations allowing parents, guardians, and caregivers of a person between 16 and 18 years of age to disclose private personal information about a spouse, partner, or other person who poses a threat of domestic or intimate partner violence to government authorities where the disclosure is necessary to prevent violence.

Action Point: Domestic and sexual violence becomes an OHS issue and liability risk for employers when it happens at the victim’s workplace. Find out how to protect your employees from the risk of workplace domestic violence.

Drugs & Alcohol

Jul 21: New Brunswick signed an agreement with British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland to expand direct-to-consumer alcohol sales across provincial borders. New Brunswick has allowed other Canadians to purchase beer, wine, and spirits directly from its producers since last August, eliminating provincial markups and administrative barriers. Under the agreement, New Brunswick breweries, wineries, and distilleries will gain access to larger markets across Canada.

CASES

Termination: City Official Voluntarily Resigned and Wasn’t Constructively Dismissed

While admitting to handing in a written resignation letter, a senior government official claimed he was forced to resign and sued the city for constructive dismissal. But the New Brunswick court wasn’t impressed. The fact that the city first broached the issue of resignation didn’t automatically prove the official was forced out. Objectively, nobody told him he had to resign, the court reasoned, even if that’s how he subjectively understood the message. As a result, the resignation was voluntary and the official not only wasn’t entitled to damages but also had to pay the city’s legal costs [Daniel Laforge v. Grand Falls, 2026 NBKB 162 (CanLII), August 5, 2026].

Action Point: An employee’s intent to resign must be clear and unambiguous. Although the employer won, the case illustrates that even a letter of resignation doesn’t demonstrate such an intention when it’s given under duress. Find out more about the law of resignation and how to avoid inadvertent wrongful dismissal by wrongfully assuming that an employee who no longer works for you has resigned.