- Who the Alberta rules cover
- The headline numbers, as of October 2026
- Hours, breaks and shift changes
- Overtime: the one exception to time and a half
- Leaves you have to allow
- Ending employment the right way
- How and when people must be paid
- The student wage, in practice
- Layoffs have a time limit
- Records and complaints
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
Alberta employment standards are the minimum rules in the Employment Standards Code for most provincially regulated workplaces: a $15 an hour minimum wage, overtime after 8 hours a day or 44 a week, 2 weeks' paid vacation after a year, 9 general holidays and written notice before ending a job. They apply to employees who work in Alberta, not to contractors.
I've pulled the headline rules from the Government of Alberta's own employment standards pages as of October 2026. Use this as the map, then follow the detail pages for the area you're dealing with.
Who the Alberta rules cover
Three tests decide it. The work has to be done in Alberta, and where the head office sits doesn't matter. The industry has to be provincially regulated, because federally regulated businesses follow different rules. And the person has to be an employee, not a contractor or self-employed.
The headline numbers, as of October 2026
| Rule | Alberta minimum standard |
|---|---|
| General minimum wage | $15 an hour |
| Students under 18 (job creation student wage) | $13 an hour for the first 28 hours a week while school is in session |
| Overtime | Hours over 8 a day or 44 a week, whichever is greater, at 1.5 times the wage rate |
| Longest working day | 12 hours, apart from accidents, urgent work or a variance |
| Breaks | 30 minutes in shifts of more than 5 and less than 10 hours, two breaks of 30 minutes for 10 hours or more |
| Rest | At least one day of rest each work week |
| Vacation | 2 weeks after each of the first 4 years, 3 weeks after 5 years |
| Vacation pay | 4% of wages, 6% once entitled to 3 weeks |
| General holidays | 9 a year, after 30 workdays in the previous 12 months |
| Pay timing | At least monthly, within 10 consecutive days of the end of the pay period |
Meals and lodging can be deducted below minimum wage only up to $3.35 per meal eaten and $4.41 per day's lodging.
Hours, breaks and shift changes
Work has to be confined to 12 consecutive hours in a day. An employer can't move someone from one shift to another without at least 24 hours' written notice and 8 hours' rest between shifts. A break can be split into two periods of at least 15 minutes if both sides agree. Breaks can be paid or unpaid, but if you stop someone leaving the premises during a break, it has to be paid.
Overtime: the one exception to time and a half
Salaried staff are covered by the same overtime rules as hourly staff, which catches out a lot of small businesses. The only way to avoid paying 1.5 times is a written overtime agreement that banks time off at 1 hour for every overtime hour, used within 6 months of the end of the pay period. Managers, supervisors and a list of professionals are excluded from overtime altogether.
Leaves you have to allow
Most job-protected leaves start after 90 days with the same employer and are unpaid, though Employment Insurance may help. Among them:
- bereavement: up to 3 days
- personal and family responsibility: up to 5 days
- domestic violence: up to 10 days
- long-term illness and injury: up to 27 weeks
- compassionate care: up to 27 weeks
- maternity and parental, reservist, critical illness and citizenship ceremony leaves
Ending employment the right way
Either side has to give written notice once the job has lasted more than 90 days. Employer notice runs from 1 week to 8 weeks depending on service, and it can be swapped for termination pay. Final earnings are due within 10 consecutive days after the end of the pay period in which employment ends, or 31 consecutive days after the last day of work, whichever the employer chooses. You can't force someone to use vacation or banked overtime during their notice period.
How and when people must be paid
Alberta lets you pay daily, weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly, but never less often than once a month. Pay has to be in Canadian currency, by cash, cheque on an insured institution or direct deposit to the account the employee chooses. One line on the official page is worth remembering: an employee isn't considered paid until they've received the funds, so a cheque that goes out late on day 10 doesn't meet the deadline.
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The student wage, in practice
The $13 rate for students under 18 only covers the first 28 hours worked in a week while school is in session. Alberta's own example: a student who works 30 hours that week can be paid $13 for 28 hours, but the other 2 hours must be at least $15. During spring break, Christmas and summer, the $13 rate applies to all regular hours, and overtime rules still apply on top.
Layoffs have a time limit
A temporary layoff isn't open-ended. It can last at most 90 days in a 120-day period, and if the employee hasn't come back by the 91st day they're treated as terminated, with termination pay owed if they qualify. The layoff notice itself has to be in writing and include sections 62 to 64 of the Code, which is a detail many template letters leave out.
Records and complaints
- Give a statement of earnings every pay period.
- Keep employment records for 3 years.
- Put any overtime banking agreement in writing and give the employee a copy.
- Expect complaints at any time during employment and up to 6 months after it ends.
My verdict
Alberta's standards are lower on wage than its neighbours but stricter on process: written notices, written overtime agreements and two payment deadlines at termination. Get those pieces of paper right and most complaints never start. It's also why I'd keep this page bookmarked: the rules don't change often, but the paperwork details trip people up every time. For the detail on pay rates see Alberta's minimum wage, and if you also employ people in Ontario, compare with the Ontario Employment Standards Act.
Frequently asked questions
Do Alberta employment standards apply to contractors?
No. They only apply to employees. Contractors and self-employed people are outside the Code.
What is the overtime rule in Alberta?
Overtime is every hour over 8 in a day or 44 in a week, whichever is greater, paid at least 1.5 times the wage rate unless a written agreement banks time off instead.
How long do employers keep records in Alberta?
Employers must keep employment records for 3 years.
What is the deadline for an employment standards complaint in Alberta?
Complaints can be made while still employed and at any time up to 6 months after the last day of employment.
