The wide breadth of these amendments mean that most Saskatchewan workplaces will be affected—at least in some capacity—and so it will be important for employers to ensure that their policies and procedures are up-to-date to remain compliant with these amendments. To help, we have summarized some of the key changes that Saskatchewan employers will need to know to be prepared for when these amendments come into force:

• Medical note requests: Employers will be limited on when they can request medical certificates from employees who are absent due to illness or injury (either their own or that of an immediate family member). An employer will not be permitted to request a medical certificate for such absences unless the employee has either:

• • (a) been absent for more than five consecutive working days, or

• • (b) had non-consecutive absences of two or more working dates due to sickness or injury in the preceding 12 months.

• Expanded sick leave: Employees will have access to extended long-term sick leave, increasing from 12 to 27 weeks. This change aligns job protection under provincial law with the federal Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits.

• More flexibility for bereavement leave: Previously, the SEA set out that employees were entitled to five days of unpaid leave in the case of a death of an immediate family member, which must be taken within one week before or after the funeral. These amendments clarify that bereavement leave can be used when there...

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