Legislation involves salary range disclosure, 27 weeks of unpaid leave
New Brunswick has unveiled two major pieces of labour legislation designed to narrow wage gaps and give workers stronger protection when they fall seriously ill, in moves the government is calling “groundbreaking” and “compassionate” steps for some of the province’s most vulnerable employees.
Introduced on March 18, the proposed Pay Transparency Act would require employers to post salary ranges in job ads, ban the use of salary history in hiring decisions and protect workers from reprisals if they discuss their pay.
On the same day, the government tabled amendments to the Employment Standards Act that would extend job-protected unpaid leave for illness or injury to as much as 27 weeks, up from the current five days in a 52‑week period.
If passed, the Pay Transparency Act would force employers to:
These measures mirror pay-transparency trends in other Canadian jurisdictions, where policymakers are trying to expose and close gaps affecting women and other equity‑seeking groups.
The government says the act is intended to tackle “systemic pay gaps” that disproportionately affect women, gender-diverse individuals, Indigenous people, racialized women, people with disabilities...
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