LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minimum Wage

Sep 8: The Prince Edward Island Employment Standards Board launched its annual review of the minimum wage. The deadline to comment is October 30, 2026. The current minimum wage will rise 30 cents to $17.30 per hour, the highest in Atlantic Canada. Another 30-cent increase is scheduled for April 1, 2027.

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

Immigration

Aug 20: From now through September 17, PEI will hold public consultations on proposed new regulations to protect temporary foreign workers. Highlights:

1. Employers hiring foreign nationals must register with the province and provide information about their business, recruitment practices, positions being filled, wages and benefits, and foreign worker employment; ii. Create publicly accessible employer registry; and iii. Administrative penalties ranging from $500 to $3,000, with higher penalties for repeat violations.

Action Point: Find out about 5 common Temporary Foreign Worker Program liability pitfalls and how to avoid them.

New Laws

Aug 28: In response to new U.S. tariffs, Prince Edward Island rolled out a new $10 million Tariff Working Capital Assistance Program offering businesses up to $500,000 in working capital at an interest rate of 4% over seven years. Interest-only repayments will be required for the first two years. Innovation PEI will also provide non-repayable grants of up to $50,000 to help provincial businesses explore new markets, develop new supply chains, and increase productivity.

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

Hiring & Recruiting

Sep 16: The province launched a new online registry of skilled tradespeople to help employers and contractors verify credentials and verify whether a person holds a Prince Edward Island Certificate of Qualification or Red Seal endorsement and the trade in which they’re certified. Searches can be done using identifying information such as a name and certification number.

Workplace Violence

Sep 17: Applications opened for Anti-Racism Youth Cyberviolence Prevention Grants for projects to prevent and address cyberbullying and other forms of cyberviolence. Funding is available through three streams: i. Youth and individual applicants can apply for up to $2,500; ii. Communities, organizations, and charities can apply for up to $5,000; and iii. Larger community projects by organizations can apply for up to $25,000. Deadline to apply: October 30.

Action Point: Digital privacy and nonconsensual publication of intimate images is also a potential liability risk for employers. Find out how to protect your organization from revenge porn and cyberbullying liability.

Workers’ Compensation

Sep 8: The WCB completed public surveying on its proposed 2027–2029 Strategic Plan. The agency says it wants to gain a better understanding of how emerging technologies, innovative service approaches, and evolving client expectations can bolster workplace safety, improve service delivery, and support positive return-to-work outcomes.

CASES

Workplace Harassment: Employee Denied Psychological Injury Benefits Got a Fair Hearing

An employee appealed the WCB’s decision to deny her workers’ compensation benefits for the psychological injury she claimed she suffered as a result of being bullied and harassed at work. The PEI Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal (WCAT) rejected the appeal, including the allegation that the WCB didn’t do a fair investigation. The rules of fairness require that the employee have an opportunity to provide her evidence, that witnesses be interviewed, and that the decision be based on the evidence. All of those requirements were met in this case, the WCAT concluded [PEIWCAT #435, 2026 CanLII 88302 (PE IWCAT), August 13, 2026].

Action Point: Find out about workers’ compensation coverage of mental stress claims across Canada.