The Big Picture
Canadian workers have legal rights. Laws also set rules that workers and employers must follow.
Different types of laws cover different parts of working life. They deal with fair treatment, workplace safety, pay and hours, unions, workplace injuries, long-term care services, and community services.
The details and names of these laws vary across Canada. The main areas of protection are still important to recognize.
Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.
Quick tip: Tap, click, or press Enter on any term with a dotted underline and an ⓘ icon to see its plain-English definition.
Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- Legislation means a body of laws that governs people’s behaviour.
- Human rights laws protect workers from discrimination and harassment.
- Occupational health and safety laws deal with rights and responsibilities for workplace safety.
- Employment standards set minimum rules for wages, hours, overtime, holidays, vacation, and leaves.
- Labour relations laws deal with unions, collective bargaining, and legal strike requirements.
- Other laws address workplace injuries, long-term care facilities, and community services.
Jump to:
Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
What Legislation and Rights Mean
Legislation is a body of laws that governs the behaviour of a country’s residents.
A right is something a person is justly entitled to.
Federal, provincial, and territorial laws protect workers and explain their rights, requirements, and duties. The exact laws differ across Canada.
Major areas of workplace legislation include:
- human rights
- occupational health and safety
- employment standards
- labour relations
- workers’ compensation
- long-term care services
- community services
Human Rights Legislation
Human rights laws protect workers’ basic human rights.
Employers must treat workers equally. They must not discriminate against workers because of:
- ethnic background
- colour
- gender
- sexual orientation
- religion
- age
- disability
Employers and employment agencies also cannot discriminate against a worker because a client asks them to.
Workers also have the right to a workplace free from harassment.
Harassment means troubling, tormenting, offending, or worrying someone through behaviour or comments. Harassment may come from an employer, a client, or another worker.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition gives a shorter list of discrimination grounds. In Nova Scotia, the Human Rights Act protects a broader set of characteristics in employment, including family status, marital status, source of income, gender identity, and gender expression. The Act also protects other listed characteristics. (humanrights.novascotia.ca)
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: Do not treat Sorrentino’s list as the complete list of protected characteristics under Nova Scotia law.
Official source: For Individuals | Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
Last checked: September 2, 2026
Occupational Health and Safety Legislation
All provinces and territories have occupational health and safety legislation, often shortened to OH&S.
OH&S legislation explains the rights and responsibilities of workers, employers, and supervisors in creating and maintaining a safe workplace.
An important distinction applies to home care. OH&S legislation is not enforceable in a home care environment and does not protect support workers working in home care.
Employer Responsibilities for Safety
Employers must take every precaution that is reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers.
Workers have the right to receive proper:
- education
- instruction
- supervision
Employers must provide these protections to help keep workers safe. Employers who fail to meet these duties may receive fines.
The Right to Refuse Dangerous Work
Workers have the right to refuse work when the work creates a danger to themselves or other people.
There is an important exception. In some provinces and territories, health care workers cannot refuse work when refusing would endanger a client’s health or safety.
Keep both parts of this rule together when studying.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino states that OH&S legislation is not enforceable in a home care environment and does not protect support workers in home care. That statement does not describe current Nova Scotia rules for employees working in clients’ private homes. Nova Scotia occupational health and safety information says the laws apply to these employees, including home health care workers. It also states that employees working in clients’ private homes have the right to refuse unsafe work when they reasonably believe a task may create a health and safety hazard to themselves or others. (novascotia.ca)
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: A CCA working in a client’s private home should not assume that home care falls outside Nova Scotia occupational health and safety protections.
Official source: Employees Working at Private Residential Homes of Clients
Last checked: September 2, 2026
Hazardous Materials and WHMIS
OH&S legislation also covers how workplaces identify and manage hazardous materials .
WHMIS, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, is a national plan. It provides information about the safe use of hazardous materials and their possible health risks.
Employment Standards Legislation
Employment standards legislation sets the minimum acceptable employment standards in a workplace.
These laws cover basic rules involving:
- minimum wage
- how wages are paid
- acceptable daily and weekly work hours
- fair overtime pay
- holidays
- vacation days
- situations that qualify for a leave of absence
Think of employment standards as the minimum rules for basic working conditions.
Labour Relations Legislation
Labour relations legislation deals with how employers and employees resolve workplace issues.
Employees have a basic right to:
- form a trade union
- join a trade union of their choice
- participate in lawful union activities
Trade unions may negotiate wages and other workplace issues with the employer for union members.
These negotiations are called collective bargaining.
Labour relations legislation also sets rules for collective bargaining. It identifies the obligations that must be met before a legal strike takes place and identifies unfair labour and employee conduct.
Workers’ Compensation Legislation
Workers’ compensation legislation deals with financial compensation for accidental injuries that happen on the job.
In general, an employee is considered to be on the job from the time they report to work until the end of the shift.
Work-related travel matters too. An accident that happens during work-related travel may also receive workers’ compensation coverage.
Workers’ compensation legislation also addresses worker and employer rights when a workplace injury occurs.
Long-Term Care Facilities Legislation
Provincial and territorial legislation regulates all long-term care facilities.
These laws address basic client rights and requirements for operating a long-term care facility.
They also cover areas such as:
- licensing requirements
- placement requirements
- funding structures
- accountability systems
- guidelines for creating and maintaining health care records
- staff training requirements
Community Services Legislation
Community services legislation sets rules and procedures for accessing and providing community services, including support work.
These laws define different types of community services. They also describe how those services are to be provided.
Exam Clue Words
- Must: Employers must take every reasonable precaution in the circumstances to protect workers.
- Right: Workers have the right to refuse work that creates a danger to themselves or others.
- Cannot: In some provinces and territories, health care workers cannot refuse work when refusing would endanger a client’s health or safety.
- May: Accidents during work-related travel may receive workers’ compensation coverage.
- Minimum: Employment standards legislation sets minimum acceptable workplace standards.
Fast Review
Worker legislation covers several different parts of working life. Match each type of law with the area it controls.
- Human rights legislation protects workers from discrimination and harassment.
- Harassment involves troubling, tormenting, offending, or worrying someone through behaviour or comments.
- OH&S legislation sets workplace safety rights and responsibilities for workers, employers, and supervisors.
- Workers have a right to proper safety education, instruction, and supervision.
- Workers have a right to refuse dangerous work, with an important health care exception in some provinces and territories.
- WHMIS provides information about hazardous materials, safe use, and possible health risks.
- Employment standards legislation covers minimum rules for wages, hours, overtime, holidays, vacation, and leaves.
- Labour relations legislation covers unions, collective bargaining, legal strike requirements, and unfair conduct.
- Workers’ compensation legislation deals with financial compensation for accidental workplace injuries.
- Long-term care and community services legislation sets rules for how those services and facilities operate.
Final Pep Talk
There are several laws to separate, so focus on what each one controls. Once you match each law with its main purpose, the names become much easier to sort out during review.