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Overview of Employment and Labour Laws in Alberta
Which law applies
The Employment Standards Code and its regulation set the minimum working conditions.
Who is covered or excluded
- Covered: most employees, whatever their status.
- Excluded: notably self-employed workers.
- Special rules: some farm employees, regulated professions, commissioned salespeople, and managers for overtime.
Provincial or federal?
Banks, interprovincial transportation, telecommunications and broadcasting fall under the Canada Labour Code. See our page on federal labour standards.
Who enforces the law
Employment Standards, a Government of Alberta service, handles complaints, conducts inspections and can impose administrative penalties.
Minimum standards, contracts and collective agreements
An employment contract or a collective agreement can offer more than the Code, never less.
Minimum Wage in Alberta
General rate and effective date
The general minimum wage is $15 an hour since October 1, 2018 (Alberta.ca).
| Rate | Amount | In effect since |
|---|---|---|
| General rate | $15 an hour | October 1, 2018 |
| Students under 18 | $13 an hour (first 28 hours of a school week) | June 26, 2019 |
| Salespersons covered | $598 a week | October 1, 2018 |
| Live-in domestic workers | $2,848 a month | 2019 |
Special rates
During the school year, every hour beyond 28 in a week is paid at least $15. During school breaks, the $13 rate can apply to all hours.
Next increase and how it is set
The rate is not indexed and changes only by regulation. No increase had been announced as of October 1, 2026.
What counts toward minimum wage
- Tips can never be used to reach the minimum.
- With written authorization, the employer can deduct $3.35 per meal provided.
- No deduction for faulty work or a cash shortage if other people had access to the cash.
Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees in Alberta
Is there a separate rate?
No. A tipped employee earns at least $15 an hour, or $13 if they are a student under 18 who qualifies for the student rate.
Who owns tips
The Code does not treat tips as wages and does not say who owns them. How they are handled depends on the agreement between the employer and its employees.
Tip sharing
No legal rule. Adopt a written policy that states who shares in tips and in what proportion.
Prohibited deductions
No deduction from wages for an unpaid bill or breakage when other people had access to the cash.
Overtime Rules in Alberta
Daily and weekly threshold
The 8/44 rule: overtime is time worked beyond 8 hours a day or 44 hours a week, whichever gives more.
Rate and sample calculation
At least 1.5 times the regular wage.
Averaging of hours
An averaging arrangement allows hours to be averaged over 1 to 52 weeks, with overtime owed beyond an average of 44 hours a week.
Time off instead of overtime pay (banked time)
With a written agreement: 1 hour of paid time off per overtime hour, to be taken within 6 months. Otherwise, the hours are paid at 1.5 times the wage.
Exemptions
Notably managers and supervisors, several regulated professions and some commissioned salespeople.
Right to refuse
No general right to refuse. Hours must, however, fit within a period of 12 consecutive hours a day, except in an emergency.
Employer Record-Keeping Requirements in Alberta
Required records
Name, date of birth and contact details, hiring date, regular and overtime hours for each day, earnings and deductions per pay period, and vacation taken.
Retention period
At least 3 years (Alberta.ca).
Electronic records
Accepted if the daily hours of each employee can be retrieved from them.
Statement of earnings
A statement of earnings on every payday: pay period, regular and overtime hours, detailed earnings, deductions and hours taken as time off. Wages must be paid within 10 days after the end of the pay period.
Employee access
An electronic statement is accepted if the employee can view it confidentially and print it.
Termination of Employment in Alberta: Notice and Pay
Notice by length of service
| Period of employment | Minimum notice |
|---|---|
| 90 days or less | None |
| More than 90 days to less than 2 years | 1 week |
| 2 years to less than 4 years | 2 weeks |
| 4 years to less than 6 years | 4 weeks |
| 6 years to less than 8 years | 5 weeks |
| 8 years to less than 10 years | 6 weeks |
| 10 years or more | 8 weeks |
Source: Alberta.ca
Pay in lieu of notice
The wages the employee would have earned during the missing notice period. Final earnings are due within 10 days after the end of the pay period, or 31 days after the last day of work.
Severance pay
The Code does not provide for it. Under common law, reasonable notice can be significantly longer.
Exceptions
Notably 90 days of service or less, a fixed-term contract of one year or less, and dismissal for just cause.
Group termination
When 50 or more employees at one location are terminated within 4 weeks, the minister must be notified at least 4 weeks before the first termination.
Temporary layoff
Up to 90 days within a 120-day period, with 1 week’s written notice (less than 2 years of service) or 2 weeks'. Beyond that, employment is deemed terminated.
Meal Break Rules in Alberta
Mandatory meal break
A 30-minute break after the first 5 hours of a shift longer than 5 hours, and two 30-minute breaks for a shift of 10 hours or more.
Paid or unpaid
The employer’s choice, unless the employee must remain available for work.
Coffee breaks
Not mandatory.
Special cases
- Splitting: two 15-minute breaks, if the employee agrees.
- Shift changes: 24 hours' written notice and 8 hours of rest between the two shifts.
- Days of rest: at least 1 day a week, or days grouped over 2 to 4 weeks.
- Minimum call-in pay: at least 3 hours paid (2 hours in some jobs).
Leaves and Statutory Holidays in Alberta
General holidays and holiday pay
9 general holidays, including Remembrance Day. Heritage Day, Boxing Day and Easter Monday are optional. Employees must have worked 30 days in the previous 12 months. Holiday pay equals the average daily wage of the previous 4 weeks, and is owed only when the holiday falls on a day normally worked. Dates: Statutory holidays in Canada.
Annual vacation and vacation pay
| Length of employment | Vacation | Vacation pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year to less than 5 years | 2 weeks | 4% |
| 5 years or more | 3 weeks | 6% |
Sick leave
No paid days. After 90 days of employment, 5 unpaid days a year for personal and family responsibilities. Since January 1, 2026, long-term illness and injury leave is 27 weeks.
Family leave
- Maternity: 16 weeks
- Parental: up to 62 weeks
- Bereavement: 3 days a year
- Compassionate care: up to 27 weeks
- Critical illness: 36 weeks for a child, 16 for an adult
Other job-protected leaves
Domestic violence (10 days), death or disappearance of a child, citizenship ceremony and reservist leave. Most leaves require 90 days of employment.
Employing Minors in Alberta
Minimum working age
The rules depend on age (Alberta.ca):
| Age | Jobs allowed |
|---|---|
| 12 and under | Only with a permit, mostly for artistic activities |
| 13 and 14 | Light work listed in regulation, a permit for anything else |
| 15 to 17 | Most jobs, with limits on working hours |
Parental consent
Required in writing for a young person aged 13 or 14.
Hours allowed during the school year
At 13 and 14: at most 2 hours on a school day and 8 hours on a non-school day. At 15: no work during school hours.
Employer obligations
Check the employee’s age, keep the consent and the permit on file, and make sure an adult is present when the law requires it.
Restrictions for Young Workers in Alberta
Prohibited jobs and tasks
At 13 and 14, only the listed light jobs are allowed without a permit. In restaurants, continuous adult supervision is mandatory.
Night work
- 13 and 14: no work between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- 15 to 17 in retail or hospitality: between 9 p.m. and midnight with an adult present, and not at all between 12:01 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Maximum daily and weekly hours
No weekly cap specific to 15- to 17-year-olds, but the student rate covers only the first 28 hours of a school week.
Health and safety
The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to train and supervise every new worker.
Penalties
Employment Standards can issue orders, impose administrative penalties and prosecute.
