Employers operating in New Brunswick should be aware of the below legislative updates that came into force on June 12, 2026. These changes align with updates we are seeing across many Canadian jurisdictions.
Pay Transparency Act (the “Act”)
Effective June 12, 2026, employers operating in New Brunswick will be:
- Required to include the expected salary or hourly wages (or ranges) in both external and internal job postings.
- Prohibited from seeking pay history information about an applicant by any means (either directly or through a third party), unless that compensation history is publicly accessible.
- Prohibited from relying on past compensation when making hiring or compensation decisions, where compensation history is known.
- Required to prepare and submit an annual Pay Transparency report, where they employ more then 50 employees. It is expected that employers with 100 or more employees will be required to report on or before March 31, 2029, while employers with between 50 to 99 employees will be required to report on or before March 31, 2030. The specifics of the report have not been finalized.
The Act also contains provisions that have not yet come into force. They prohibit an employer from disciplining an employee because they discussed their compensation and/or exercised a right under the Act. Employers will also be prohibited from using non-disclosure agreements to prevent employees from discussing their compensation.
Long-Term Illness and Injury Leave
New Brunswick has also updated its Employment Standards Act to include a new leave entitlement for employees. Effective June 12, 2026, employees are entitled to take an unpaid leave of up to 27 weeks during any 52-week period if they are unable to work due to a serious illness or injury. The leave is only eligible to be taken after the employee has completed 90 days of employment and each period of the leave must be at least 1 week long. Employers may request supporting medical documentation, and employees are required to provide notice for the anticipated start and end of their leave. Re-instatement requirements would be consistent with other statutory leaves.
Employers with operations in New Brunswick should review and update their job postings, compensation plans, employment agreements, workplace policies, and practices to ensure compliance with the new legislative requirements. If you require assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to speak to an e2r® Advisor.