Employment Standards Act review

Have Your Say
NWT workers, employers and residents are invited to provide feedback on the Act by completing an online survey by June 18, 2023.
Background
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.
Next Steps
Results of direct stakeholder engagement and the public survey will be summarized in a What We Heard report that will help inform potential changes to the Act.