Payroll guidance for Nova Scotia small businesses.
CRA deadlines, employment standards, and practical payroll advice from our local team.
Nova Scotia Is Lowering the Overtime Threshold to 44 Hours and Protecting Tips
Nova Scotia has tabled amendments dropping the overtime threshold from 48 hours to 44, expanding who qualifies, and protecting tips for the first time. What changes, what it costs, who is excluded, and what to do before April 1, 2027.
Nova Scotia WCB Premiums Are Dropping 15% in January 2027
Effective January 1, 2027, the average employer rate at the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia falls from $2.65 to $2.25 per $100 of assessable payroll.
How Much Does Payroll Cost for a Small Business in Nova Scotia?
Real pricing, not a range. What outsourced payroll costs in Nova Scotia by team size, what running it yourself actually costs once you count your time and CRA penalty exposure, and how to decide which one fits your business.
The Record of Employment (ROE): A Practical Guide for Employers
The ROE decides whether your former employee gets EI, how much, and for how long - and it's usually due within days. A clear guide to when you must file, the deadlines by pay cycle, the reason codes, and the mistakes that delay claims and trigger Service Canada calls.
Severance Pay in Nova Scotia: What the Law Actually Requires
Nova Scotia has no statutory severance pay - only notice, pay in lieu, and common law reasonable notice on top. A guide to the notice periods, the 10-year just cause rule that catches employers out, group termination requirements, and your payroll deadlines when employment ends.
Vacation Pay and Vacation Time in Nova Scotia: An Employer's Guide
Vacation pay and vacation time are two separate entitlements in Nova Scotia, and they don't increase in the same year. A clear guide to the 4%-to-6% transition, the two-versus-three-week rule, the three ways to pay it, and the mistakes that cost employers twice.
Overtime Rules in Nova Scotia: What Employers Actually Owe
Nova Scotia has a 48-hour weekly overtime threshold and no daily overtime, but salaried staff are covered, job titles don't create exemptions, and several occupations follow entirely different rules. A clear guide to what you owe, with worked examples.
Holiday Pay Rules in Nova Scotia: A Practical Guide for Employers
Nova Scotia has only six paid holidays and Remembrance Day isn't one of them. A clear guide to who qualifies, how to calculate a regular day's pay, when the 1.5× premium applies, and why November 11 works in the opposite direction from every other holiday.
Nova Scotia's Minimum Wage Rises to $17.00 on October 1, 2026: What Employers Need to Know
Nova Scotia's minimum wage increases to $17.00 per hour on October 1, 2026. A practical guide for employers: what's changing, the full rate history, how Nova Scotia compares to every other province and territory, and the steps to take before the date arrives.