Yukon Employment Standards Act: Your Rights at Work
How Yukon's employment standards differ from the federal Canada Labour Code
Content last verified against official statutes: August 30, 2026
Am I Provincially Regulated?
Employees of private employers in Yukon whose business is not federally regulated (interprovincial transportation, telecommunications, banking and similar) are covered by the Employment Standards Act, administered by the Employment Standards Office of the Department of Community Services.
Overtime
Overtime at 1.5 times the regular wage applies to hours worked beyond 8 in a day or 40 in a week, whichever is greater. Some occupations have different rules under the regulations, and averaging agreements can change the daily threshold.
Key difference from federal: The Canada Labour Code uses the same 8-hour and 40-hour thresholds (s.169, s.174), so overtime works much the same way for federally regulated employees in Yukon.
Sick Leave
The Act provides unpaid sick leave of 1 day for each month of employment, up to a maximum of 12 days in a year (Yukon Employment Standards Office special-leave fact sheet). There is no paid sick leave in the Act.
Key difference from federal: Federally regulated employees earn up to 10 paid medical-leave days per year (3 after 30 days, then 1 per month) and up to 27 weeks of unpaid medical leave (CLC s.239).
Termination & Severance
The Act sets the minimum written notice of termination (or pay in lieu). No notice is required in the first 6 months of employment:
| Length of service | Minimum notice (or pay in lieu) |
|---|---|
| 6 months to less than 1 year | 1 week |
| 1 year to less than 3 years | 2 weeks |
| 3 years to less than 4 years | 3 weeks |
| 4 years to less than 5 years | 4 weeks |
| 5 years to less than 6 years | 5 weeks |
| 6 years to less than 7 years | 6 weeks |
| 7 years to less than 8 years | 7 weeks |
| 8 years or more | 8 weeks |
Group terminations have separate notice rules. Severance beyond the statutory notice is a common-law matter, and there is no statutory unjust-dismissal process.
Key difference from federal: The Canada Labour Code provides graduated notice of 2 to 8 weeks (s.230), severance pay of 2 days per completed year with a 5-day minimum (s.235), and an unjust dismissal complaint for non-managerial employees with 12 months of service (s.240).
Reprisal Protection
The Act prohibits an employer from dismissing, suspending, laying off or otherwise penalizing an employee for filing a complaint, giving evidence, taking a leave the Act provides, or asserting a right under the Act. Complaints are made to the Director of Employment Standards; decisions may be appealed to the Yukon Employment Standards Board.
Key difference from federal: Under CLC s.246.1(4) a federal reprisal complaint is itself evidence of reprisal and the burden of proof shifts to the party denying it.
Harassment
The Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations, administered by the Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board, require employers to address workplace harassment and violence. The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination and harassment on protected grounds, which include ancestry (including colour and race), national origin, ethnic or linguistic background or origin, religion or creed, age, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, criminal charges or record, political belief or activity, marital or family status, and source of income. A complaint to the Yukon Human Rights Commission is filed within 18 months of the last incident (Human Rights Act s.20(2)).
Key difference from federal: Federally regulated workplaces follow SOR/2020-130; discrimination complaints go to the Canadian Human Rights Commission within 12 months.
Filing Complaints
| Issue | Where complaints are filed | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid wages, overtime, vacation pay, notice pay | Employment Standards Office, Department of Community Services | 6 months from the date the wages became payable |
| Reprisal under the Act | Employment Standards Office; Yukon Employment Standards Board on appeal | 6 months |
| Harassment or violence (health and safety) | Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board | None set by statute |
| Discrimination or harassment on a protected ground | Yukon Human Rights Commission | 18 months from the last incident (Human Rights Act s.20(2)) |
- Employment Standards Office: 867-667-5944 or 1-800-661-0408 · yukon.ca employment standards
- Yukon Human Rights Commission: 867-667-6226 · yukonhumanrights.ca
Key Statutes & Sources
Official sources checked on August 30, 2026
- Employment standards general fact sheet (yukon.ca PDF) (yukon.ca)
- Special leave without pay fact sheet (yukon.ca PDF) (yukon.ca)
- Termination of employment fact sheet (yukon.ca PDF) (yukon.ca)
- Submit a wage complaint — yukon.ca (yukon.ca)
- Yukon Human Rights Commission (yukonhumanrights.ca)
- Canada Labour Code, Part III (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca)
When Should You Contact a Lawyer?
This platform is designed to help you build your case independently — collecting evidence, documenting incidents, writing complaints in compliance language, and navigating the internal HR process. Many employees can handle these steps without a lawyer.
The most effective time to engage a lawyer is after you have completed the internal process and your employer has failed to resolve your complaint. At that point, a lawyer can review your complete file — your timeline, evidence, complaint, and the employer's response — and provide strategic advice before you file with an external body such as the CIRB, CHRC, or OPC.
By doing the groundwork yourself, your consultation becomes a focused strategic review rather than a costly fact-gathering session. This approach has been validated by employment lawyers who reviewed files prepared using this methodology and found the documentation thorough with nothing to add.
Cite This Page
MyWorkRights.ca, "Yukon Employment Standards Act: Your Rights at Work," accessed 2026-10-01, https://myworkrights.ca/provincial/yukon