LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Workers’ Compensation

Sep 24: The Yukon Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board (WSCB) cut the 2027 average assessment rate from $2.11 to $1.86 per $100 assessable payroll. Rates will decrease across all rate groups with no industry reclassifications, with the biggest decreases in two sectors: Resources & Transportation High (-$1.29) and Construction High (-$1.00). 2027 Maximum Annual Earnings will be $111,580.

Action Point: Find out how to create a vibrant workplace health and safety culture to prevent injuries and workers’ compensation claims at your company.

Labour Relations

Oct 15: Bill 13, which is out of Committee and on its way to passage, gives the Yukon government expanded powers to regulate labour relations and collective bargaining in the teachers and public service sectors.

Action Point: Find out about the basic laws of labour relations and collective bargaining with unions.

New Laws

Oct 15: Yukon passed the Interim Capital Appropriation Act, 2027–28 authorizing $138.8 million for select capital projects. The early funding approval will enable the government to begin procurement and contracting earlier, so that businesses can get a head start on preparing bids, organizing workers, and planning their work for the 2027 season.

New Laws

Oct 15: Yukon’s new passed capital funding legislation includes more than $46 million for transportation improvements, such as work on the North Klondike Highway and Shakwak corridor. It also includes investments in housing, community infrastructure, preparatory work related to expanding the Whitehorse General Hospital, and a range of work on schools.

New Laws

Sep 29: Yukon began offering a rebate to support local businesses participating in the packaging and paper products Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program. Yukon businesses may receive an offset up to 65% of their total EPR invoice for 2026. This will help offset the higher per-product fees that Yukon businesses pay compared to EPR fees in Alberta and British Columbia. Deadline to apply: December 31.

New Laws

Oct 15: Yukon announced that it’s opening two new timber harvest plans at Crooked Creek near Stewart Crossing and at Cabin Creek near Watson Lake. The new areas bring the total new timber harvest plans approved in 2026 to four, giving commercial operators access to approximately 169,000 cubic metres of harvest volume.

New Laws

Oct 15: Yukon reports that it’s processing commercial harvest permits about 35% faster than it did last year at this time. The number of permits issued is also on track to exceed last year’s total. Reported harvest volumes are already approaching the total harvested in all of 2025 with more than two months of the year remaining.

New Laws

Oct 9: Canada and Yukon have agreed in principle to renew the Working Together bilateral agreement. Once finalized, the agreement will provide approximately $52.1 million over seven years to improve access to health care across the territory. The Yukon is the second territory to announce progress on renewing its Working Together Agreement, after the Northwest Territories earlier this week.

New Laws

Oct 8: The Government of Yukon and City of Whitehorse met with builders, developers, contractors, municipalities, First Nations governments, and other stakeholders to discuss the creation of a made-in-Yukon approach to the 2025 National Building Code. The government will rely on the output to propose amendments to the Yukon Building Standards Act.

Workplace Violence

Oct 7: Newly tabled Bill 11, the Yukon Firearms Act, provides new protections for legal gun owners including the creation of a new firearms advocate charged with advocating on their behalf during certain government activities.

Action Point: Are you doing enough to protect your employees against violence at work? Find out about the 10 things you must do to prevent workplace violence.

Workers’ Compensation

Oct 13: Yukon is getting set to pass workers’ compensation legislation (Bill 6) that will extend the presumption that specific cancers are work-related to wildland forest firefighters. The presumption of work-relatedness currently applies to full-time, part-time, and volunteer firefighters. The law takes effect on November 1, 2026.

CASES

Workplace Harassment: Failure to Stop Harassment Costs Government Agency $44,000

A Department of Highway and Public Works (HPW) heavy equipment operator complained that she suffered racial and sexual harassment from HPW staff, including negative comments and jokes regarding indigenous people and inappropriate staring at her breasts by a coworker. The HPW denied the claims but after hearing all of the evidence, the Yukon Human Rights Commission found that harassment did occur and that the agency was aware of the conduct and didn’t take measures to stop it. Result: It awarded the operator $44,000 in damages and lost wages [Grant v. Govt of Yukon, Department of Highways and Public Works, YHRPA File: 2025-03 Grant, August 28, 2026].

Action Point: The key factor in this case was that HPW was aware that the operator was being harassed but didn’t take effective action to protect her. And once an employer is on notice, it must act. Find out how to implement a legally sound and effective Workplace Harassment Prevention and Compliance Game Plan at your workplace.