BILL NO. 219
(as introduced)
1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2026
Private Member's Public Bill
Labour Standards Code
(amended)
The Honourable Iain Rankin
Timberlea–Prospect
First Reading: March 3, 2026
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
Explanatory Note
This Bill provides entitlement to a paid leave of absence for employees who have experienced gender-based violence.
An Act to Amend Chapter 246
of the Revised Statutes, 1989,
the Labour Standards Code,
Respecting a Leave for Victims
of Gender-based Violence
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 Section 7 of Chapter 246 of the Revised Statues, 1989, the Labour Standards Code, as amended by Chapter 14 of the Acts of 1991, Chapter 4 of the Acts of 2003 (2nd Session), Chapters 10 and 13 of the Acts of 2006, Chapter 18 of the Acts of 2009, Chapter 37 of the Acts of 2010, Chapter 19 of the Acts of 2011, Chapter 11 of the Acts of 2013, Chapter 11 of the Acts of 2016, Chapters 13 and 36 of the Acts of 2018, Chapters 13 and 14 of the Acts of 2020, Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2022 and Chapter 10 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by adding immediately after clause (bn) the following clauses:
- (bna) prescribe a purpose for which a victim of gender-based violence may take a leave of absence under clause (f) of subsection (1) of Section 60ZD;
(bnb) specify the nature, form, content and timing of information an employee must provide to an employer for the purpose of clause (b) of subsection (1) of Section 60ZF;
(bnc) prescribe the circumstances under Section 60ZD under which an employee's employer may require the employee to provide the employer with the information referred to in subsection (1) of Section 60ZF;
2 Subsection 58A(1) of Chapter 246, as enacted by Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2018 and amended by Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2018, Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2022 and Chapter 10 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by striking out "60X and 60Z" and substituting "60X, 60Z and 60ZD".
3 (1) Subsection 58B(1) of Chapter 246, as enacted by Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2018 and amended by Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2018, Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2022 and Chapter 10 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by striking out "60X or 60Z" and substituting "60X, 60Z or 60ZD".
(2) Subsection 58B(2) of Chapter 246, as enacted by Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2018 and amended by Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2018, Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2022 and Chapter 10 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by striking out "60X or 60Z" and substituting "60X, 60Z or 60ZD".
4 Section 58D of Chapter 246, as enacted by Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2018 and amended by Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2018, Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2022 and Chapter 10 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by striking out "60X or 60Z" and substituting "60X, 60Z or 60ZD".
5 Subsection 58E(1) of Chapter 246, as enacted by Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2018 and amended by Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2018, Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2022 and Chapter 10 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by striking out "60X or 60Z" and substituting "60X, 60Z or 60ZD".
6 Subsection 58F(1) of Chapter 246, as enacted by Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2018 and amended by Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2018, Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2022 and Chapter 10 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by striking out "60X or 60Z" and substituting "60X, 60Z or 60ZD".
7 Chapter 246 is further amended by adding immediately after Section 60ZB the following heading and Sections:
- 60ZC In Sections 60ZD to 60ZF, "gender-based violence" means an act of abuse towards a person where the abuse
(a) is physical, sexual, emotional or psychological;
(b) may include an act of coercion, stalking, harassment, sexual harassment or financial control; and
(c) is based on the person's gender, gender expression, gender identity or perceived gender.
60ZD (1) An employee who has been employed by an employer for a period of at least three months is entitled to an unpaid leave of absence if the employee experiences gender-based violence and the leave of absence is taken
(a) to seek medical attention for the employee for a physical or psychological injury or disability caused by the gender-based violence;
(b) to obtain services for the employee from a victim services organization or a person employed by the Department of Justice, a municipal police department or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who provides victim services;
(c) to obtain psychological or other counselling from a qualified person for the employee;
(d) to relocate temporarily or permanently;
(e) to seek legal or law enforcement assistance, including preparing for or participating in any civil or criminal legal proceeding related to or resulting from the gender-based violence; or
(f) for a purpose prescribed by the regulations.
(2) An employee is entitled to take, in each calendar year, the leave of absence described in subsection (1) for
(a) up to ten days, which the employee may take intermittently or in one continuous period; and
(b) up to sixteen weeks in one continuous period.
(3) Nothing in this Section precludes an employee from taking a leave of absence to which the employee is otherwise entitled under this Act, at any time, irrespective of when the gender-based violence occurred.
60ZE (1) Where an employee takes any part of a day as leave under Section 60ZD, the employer
(a) may count that day as one day of leave for the purpose of that Section; and
(b) shall pay the employee for the part of the day worked.
(2) An employee shall advise the employer in writing as soon as possible of any intention to take a leave of absence under Section 60ZD, the anticipated start date of the leave and the anticipated end date of the leave.
(3) Where an employee must begin a leave under Section 60ZD before advising the employer pursuant to subsection (2), the employee shall advise the employer as soon as possible of the date the leave began and the anticipated end date of the leave.
(4) An employee shall make reasonable and practicable efforts to schedule an appointment for a purpose set out in subsection (1) of Section 60ZD to take place during non-working hours.
(5) An employee may end a leave of absence taken under clause (a) of subsection (2) of Section 60ZD early by giving the employer as much notice as is reasonably practicable of the intention to end the leave.
(6) Unless the employee and employer agree otherwise, an employee may end a leave of absence taken under clause (b) of subsection (2) of Section 60ZD earlier than the expiry of the leave period by
(a) giving the employer written notice of at least fourteen days before the employee wishes to end the leave; or
(b) where there are fewer than fourteen days remaining in the leave period, giving the employer as much written notice as is reasonably practicable before the employee wishes to end the leave.
60ZF (1) Where permitted by the regulations, an employer may require an employee who takes a leave of absence for a purpose set out in subsection (1) of Section 60ZD to
(a) identify the purpose of the leave, with reference to the specific purposes set out in subsection (1) of Section 60ZD; and
(b) provide such information in support of the employee's entitlement to the leave as may be prescribed by the regulations or, in the absence of applicable regulations, as is reasonable in the circumstances.
(2) In the event of a conflict, the information provided under clause (b) of subsection (1) concerning the length of the leave prevails over the information provided by the employee under subsection (2) of Section 60ZE as to the anticipated length of the leave.
8 The Governor in Council shall amend the General Labour Standards Code Regulations to provide that an employer must pay an employee for up to 10 days of a leave of absence taken under subsection 60Z(1) or 60ZD(1) of the Labour Standards Code.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2026 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created March 3, 2026. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
