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ARTICLE · 13 JANUARY 2017

Navigating Employment Law Tricky For Startups

Cox & Palmer
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So, you want to launch a business in Nova Scotia? Well, whether you want to disrupt the tech sector, break the Internet or brew some sour beer, you are going to need to understand...

CanadaEmployment and HR
Geoffrey Breen
Geoffrey Breen
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So, you want to launch a business in Nova Scotia? Well, whether you want to disrupt the tech sector, break the Internet or brew some sour beer, you are going to need to understand what it means to be an employer subjected to a litany of employment laws.

In the spirit of our times, here's a list of the top-five employment law points that confront small businesses. Of course, I can't cover the whole ambit of employment law in just five points (that would take at least six points). However, this should be a good start.

(1) Who are your employees?

Spoiler: Probably everyone who works for you. Under the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code, there is a presumption that pretty much anyone you retain to perform work is an employee. These employees have rights to, for example, minimum wage, vacation and holidays. And they cannot choose to forgo those rights.

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