Bill 262: Helping Workers Get Ahead Act

Any Nova Scotia business that hires employees — from restaurants and construction firms to trucking companies and office-based operations — will face new obligations. Employers with as few as ten workers must now comply with expanded pay equity requirements, while all employers must post wage ranges in job ads, disclose AI use in hiring, and meet tighter overtime rules (40 hours per week instead of 48, plus daily overtime after 8 hours). Restaurants, hospitality businesses, and event caterers face new tip ownership and record-keeping rules that prohibit deducting credit card fees from tips or pooling tips with management. Companies with unionized workforces or those facing organizing drives will need to navigate anti-scab rules, new union certification thresholds, and restrictions on workplace closures during organizing periods — and directors and officers of incorporated businesses can now be personally on the hook for up to six months of unpaid wages.