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Nova Scotia Leave & Compensation

All you need to know about employee’s leave, compensation, statutory holidays, vacation and other entitlements under the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code  

Sick Days: 5 days’ unpaid Sick Leave for illness or injury to the employee 

Leaves of Absence (all leaves are unpaid unless specified otherwise):    

  • 3 days’ Family Responsibility Leave to care for an ill parent, child, or family member or for medical, dental, or other similar appointments for the employee or a family member 
  • 16 weeks’ Pregnancy Leave 
  • 61 weeks’ Parental Leave 
  • 5 consecutive days’ Bereavement Leave for death of a family member 
  • 28 weeks’ Compassionate Care Leave to care for designated family members or persons who are like family to the employee 
  • 37 weeks’ Critically Ill Child Leave to care for a critically ill child family member under age 18 
  • 16 weeks’ Critically Ill Adult Leave to care for a critically ill adult family member age 18 or older 
  • 10 days’ or 16 consecutive weeks’ Domestic Violence Leave, the first 5 days of which must be paid, for employees with at least 3 months’ employment 
  • 24 months’ Reservist Leave in a 60-month period for a reservist in the Canadian Forces, except in a national emergency in which case leave can last longer 
  • 52 consecutive weeks’ Crime-Related Child Disappearance Leave if employee’s child disappears as a probable result of a crime  
  • 104 consecutive weeks’ Crime-Related Child Death Leave if employee’s child dies as a probable result of a crime  
  • Emergency Leave for as long as necessary as employees can’t work due to a declared emergency, including needing to care for a family member affected by such an emergency 
  • 27 weeks’ Serious Illness or Injury Leave if employee is diagnosed with a serious injury or illness 
  • Court Leave for as long as necessary if employee must serve on a jury or the court says that they must appear as a witness 
  • 1 day Citizenship Ceremony Leave to attend their own citizenship ceremony 

Vacation: Employee must work 1 full year to be entitled to vacation time 

  • 2 weeks of vacation after each of the first 7 years of employment paid at least 4% of vacationable earnings 
  • 3 weeks of vacation after 8 consecutive years of employment and paid at least 6% of vacationable earnings 

Statutory Holidays: New Year’s Day, Nova Scotia Heritage Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, Christmas Day. 

Stat Holiday Pay Entitlement: To be eligible for stat holiday pay, employee must: i. Be entitled to receive pay for at least 15 of the 30 calendar days before the holiday; and ii. Have worked on their last scheduled shift or day before the holiday and on the first scheduled shift or day after the holiday 

Stat Holiday Pay Amount: 

(If worked): Time and a half for the hours worked on the holiday plus a regular day’s pay 

(If not worked): Regular day’s pay  

PAY:   Minimum Wage: $16.50 per hour, as of October 1, 2025, scheduled to increase to $16.75, as of April 1, 2026, and $17.00, as of October 1, 2026  

Standard Work Hours: 48 hours per week  

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION:  Average Workers’ Comp Assessment Rate 2026: $2.65 per $100 assessable payroll Workers’ Comp Maximum Assessable/Insurable Earnings 2026: TBA ($76,300 in 2025)