Prince Edward Island Enacts 27-Week Medical Leave as 44-Hour Workweek Starts June 30
Updated
Updated · Canadian HR Reporter · Jun 15
Prince Edward Island Enacts 27-Week Medical Leave as 44-Hour Workweek Starts June 30
1 articles · Updated · Canadian HR Reporter · Jun 15
Summary
June 30 will bring Prince Edward Island’s biggest employment-law overhaul in nearly 20 years, giving employers just over two weeks to update leave, scheduling and termination policies.
The new Employment Standards Act creates up to 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected medical leave, raises unpaid sick leave to four days from three, and limits sick-note requests to absences of five consecutive days or more.
Workplace rules also tighten: the maximum workweek falls to 44 hours from 48 for most sectors, schedules must be posted one week ahead, and workers must get at least eight hours between shifts.
Termination protections expand as notice eligibility starts after 90 days instead of six months, while group layoffs affecting at least 10 workers and 25% of staff within two months require six weeks’ notice.
Enforcement strengthens with a two-year complaint window—double the previous limit—and new inspector-issued fines, part of a rewrite driven by a review panel’s 110 recommendations.