LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minimum Wage

Apr 1: Newfoundland and Labrador increased its general minimum wage by 35 cents to $16.35 per hour to keep up with inflation.

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

Employment Benefits

Apr 10: Bill 6 proposing to permit transfers of assets from a registered Newfoundland pension plan to a pension plan that’s not registered in the province, subject to certain conditions is working its way through the Assembly. The Bill also adds new Pension Benefits Act definitions of “solvency assets” and “solvency ratio.”

New Laws

Mar 30: Newfoundland passed Bill 5 to maintain the reduction of the tax on propane fuel grade of gasoline by seven cents per litre. Other per litre gasoline tax rates contained in the Bill: $0.035 on gasoline for operation of sea-going vessels or boats (other than pleasure craft); $0.095 on diesel grade gasoline; $0.025 on gasoline delivered for consumption or use in an aircraft; and $0.075 on all other gasoline grades.

New Laws

Mar 23: Ten municipalities in western Newfoundland will receive over $35.6 million from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments to upgrade their water and wastewater infrastructure. In addition to creating jobs, the projects will lay the groundwork for the development of badly needed new housing.

New Laws

Mar 19: To bolster national defence and security supply chains, the federal Regional Defence Investment Initiative (RDII) announced that it will invest $16 million to support five local companies in Newfoundland and Labrador: PAL Aerospace Ltd., Virtual Marine Technology Inc., Solace Power Inc., CoLab AI Inc., and Rutter Inc.

Training

Apr 15: Newfoundland is now accepting applications for 2026 Job Creation Partnerships (JCP) funding for community-based, not-for-profit projects that provide EI eligible individuals with opportunities to gain work experience and improve their employment prospects. Deadline to apply: June 12, 2026.

New Laws

April 30 is the deadline for farmers and producers in Newfoundland and Labrador who were affected by last year’s drought conditions to apply for federal-provincial relief under two AgriRecovery relief programs: AgriStability, which covers large declines in farming income due to production loss, increased costs and market conditions; and AgriInsurance, which production insurance against uncontrollable natural perils.

CASES

Workplace Harassment: Brewery Employee’s Sex Discrimination Claim Lacks Validity

An assistant manager at a brewery claimed her former company assigned her end-of-shift closing duties that it didn’t ask male workers in the same position to do, such as cleaning washrooms, and then scolded for not performing them. The employer denied the charges, insisting that it applied the same closing checklist to all employees regardless of sex. The Newfoundland Human Rights Commission agreed and dismissed the manager’s sex discrimination and harassment complaint without a trial [Osmond v Home Beverage & Specialties Inc. (Brewery Lan), 2026 CanLII 27654 (NL HRC), March 30, 2026].

Action Point: Use the HR Insider sexual harassment policy template to review and improve your own policy.