PEI Enacts Bill 76 on June 30, Cutting Overtime Threshold to 44 Hours
Updated
Updated · Littler Mendelson PC · Jun 18
PEI Enacts Bill 76 on June 30, Cutting Overtime Threshold to 44 Hours
2 articles · Updated · Littler Mendelson PC · Jun 18
Summary
June 30 brings PEI’s new Employment Standards Act into force, replacing the old law and lowering the standard workweek to 44 hours from 48, with overtime paid at 1.5 times regular wages above that level.
Employers must give written schedules at least one week ahead, provide eight hours of rest in each 24-hour period, and keep split shifts within 12 hours, while written overtime averaging can run for up to four weeks.
Workers gain broader leave rights, including four unpaid sick days after 30 days of employment, up to three paid sick days after three years, and as much as 27 weeks of unpaid medical leave after 90 days.
Termination and vacation rules also shift: individual notice starts after 90 days instead of six months, mass layoffs of 10 or more workers can trigger six weeks’ notice, and three weeks of paid vacation now begins after five years instead of eight.
Enforcement tightens under updated regulations, extending the complaint window to two years from one and allowing employment standards inspectors to issue penalties for violations.