Employment Standards Act review

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

The Employment Standards Act and Regulations establish the minimum standards of employment in the NWT for hours of work, overtime pay, minimum wage, vacation pay, statutory holidays, job-protected leave, notice requirements for termination of employment, and payment of wages.

The Act applies to most employees and employers that perform work in the NWT. The Act does not apply to federal government employees, GNWT employees or workers in federally regulated industries such as airlines, banks and most telecommunications operations.

First Nations band councils, Indigenous governments, and Indigenous organizations may be federally regulated; main band council activities, such as overall band administration and governance, typically fall under federal jurisdiction. Whether or not an employer is federally regulated is determined on a case-by-case basis.


The Employment Standards Act and Regulations establish the minimum standards of employment in the NWT for hours of work, overtime pay, minimum wage, vacation pay, statutory holidays, job-protected leave, notice requirements for termination of employment, and payment of wages.

The Act applies to most employees and employers that perform work in the NWT. The Act does not apply to federal government employees, GNWT employees or workers in federally regulated industries such as airlines, banks and most telecommunications operations.

First Nations band councils, Indigenous governments, and Indigenous organizations may be federally regulated; main band council activities, such as overall band administration and governance, typically fall under federal jurisdiction. Whether or not an employer is federally regulated is determined on a case-by-case basis.


  • Employee or Community Member Survey

    This is the Employee and Community Member survey, a survey for employers is available here.

    The survey is divided into 18 sections and should take 15-20 minutes to complete. The first section gathers demographic information that will help us analyze the responses to the following sections. This demographic information will not be used to identify specific individuals.

    Feel free to skip any questions or sections that do not apply to your situation or that you would prefer not to answer. 

    Privacy Notice
    All personal information contained in this survey is collected under the authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act Section 40(c)(i) and is used for the purposes of informing potential amendments to the Northwest Territories’ employment standards legislation, policies, and procedures. Section 43 of the Act allows a public body to use the personal information for the purpose for which it was collected or a use consistent for that purpose. Annual or statistical reporting would be considered consistent use. Any questions relating to the collection and use of personal information in this survey may be directed to Haley Mathisen, Manager, Employment Standards at 1-888-700-5707.

    Take Survey
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

  • Employer Survey

    This is the Employer survey, a survey for employees and community members is available here.

    The survey is divided into 18 sections and should take 15-20 minutes to complete. The first section gathers demographic information that will help us analyze the responses to the following sections. This demographic information will not be used to identify specific organizations or individuals.

    Feel free to skip any questions or sections that do not apply to your situation or that you would prefer not to answer. 

    Privacy Notice
    All personal information contained in this survey is collected under the authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act Section 40(c)(i) and is used for the purposes of informing potential amendments to the Northwest Territories’ employment standards legislation, policies, and procedures. Section 43 of the Act allows a public body to use the personal information for the purpose for which it was collected or a use consistent for that purpose. Annual or statistical reporting would be considered consistent use. Any questions relating to the collection and use of personal information in this survey may be directed to Haley Mathisen, Manager, Employment Standards at 1-888-700-5707.

    Take Survey
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Page last updated: 25 May 2023, 11:59 AM