--- title: SK employers, are you ready for Bill 5’s changes to employment leave? description: We’re looking at Saskatchewan employment leaves (as legislation updates will be in effect soon!), plus how we can help employers navigate these changes. image: https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/LegislativeUpdate_Saskatchewan_Oct15-1.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://blog.payworks.ca/sk-employers-are-you-ready-for-bill-5s-changes-to-employment-leave#maincontent) [Skip to footer](https://blog.payworks.ca/sk-employers-are-you-ready-for-bill-5s-changes-to-employment-leave#footer-en) ![Legislative Update. Saskatchewan: Employee Leaves. ](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/BlogBanner_SaskatchewanLegistlation_Oct15-1.jpg) # SK employers, are you ready for Bill 5’s changes to employment leave? Nov 24, 2025 [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) ![Payworks](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20February%202019/Images/inTheLoop-ring-150px.png) Payworks Share this article [![Share this on Facebook.](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20February%202019/Images/button.gif)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.payworks.ca/sk-employers-are-you-ready-for-bill-5s-changes-to-employment-leave) [![Share this on Twitter.](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20February%202019/Images/button.gif)](http://twitter.com/share?text=A%20great%20article%20from%20Payworks!&url=https://blog.payworks.ca/sk-employers-are-you-ready-for-bill-5s-changes-to-employment-leave) [![Share this on LinkedIn.](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20February%202019/Images/button.gif)](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.payworks.ca/sk-employers-are-you-ready-for-bill-5s-changes-to-employment-leave&title=&summary=&source) If you’re running a business or managing a team in Saskatchewan, you may have already heard of [Bill 5](https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2025/may/13/employment-standards-amendments-pass)… but did you know that these [amendments to the Saskatchewan Employment Act](https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2025/may/13/employment-standards-amendments-pass) will be enforced as soon as the calendar turns to 2026? Yep, that’s right: as of January 1, 2026, there are some new parameters you’ll need to keep in mind when it comes to scheduling, overtime, employment leaves, modified work arrangements, time off and more (you can find the full list of changes here: [https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2025/may/13/employment-standards-amendments-pass](https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2025/may/13/employment-standards-amendments-pass)). Today, we’re taking a closer look at employment leaves in [Saskatchewan](https://blog.payworks.ca/what-employers-need-to-know-about-saskatchewan-payroll-legislation?hsLang=en-ca). Bill 5 includes the expansion of both parameters and timelines for several different types of leave so that your employees can take the time they need to recover and eventually return as their best selves. 1. **Sick leave**: Per Section 2-40, employers can no longer request a sick note unless an employee “has been absent for more than five consecutive working days or has been absent twice for two or more days in the preceding 12 months.” Long-term sick leave has also been extended from 12 to 27 weeks. 2. **Extension of available leave in cases of interpersonal violence**: Section 2-56.1 adds a new 16 week unpaid interpersonal violence leave to the existing 10 day leave (which includes five paid days and five unpaid days). 3. **Leave for loss of pregnancy**: Employees who experience a loss of pregnancy up to 20 weeks before the estimated due date are now eligible for maternity leave, per Section 2-49. New pregnancy loss parameters are now also covered as part of bereavement leave – more on that below. 4. **Bereavement leave**: The period of time during which an employee can access bereavement leave has been extended – where it was previously within a week before or after the funeral, it’s now accessible anytime within six months of a death (Section 2-55). This same amendment also permits leave “for the death of a person the employee considers to be ‘like’ family and for the loss of a pregnancy of an employee or an employee’s immediate family.” ![A people leader using a tablet to share information with an employee..](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/iStock_SmallBusiness_Therapist_2025%20(1).jpg?width=641&height=427&name=iStock_SmallBusiness_Therapist_2025%20(1).jpg) ## How Payworks can help you navigate changes to leave legislation When new HR legislation is introduced, your first step needs to be synthesizing those changes into your own employee policy handbook. Don’t have one? We’ve got you covered! In addition to a network of experts and resources, [Payworks’ HR Advisory Services](https://www.payworks.ca/solutions/hr-advisory-services) can equip you with a comprehensive template to develop your very own Employee Policy Handbook that addresses everything from conduct and benefits to health and safety, corporate policies and more. Once those changes have been made, it’s time to bring your team into the loop! [Payworks’ Self Service](https://www.payworks.ca/solutions/self-serve) keeps leaders and employees connected by making it easy to share important company documents. Bonus: you’ll even know whether or not they actually looked at it, thanks to Read & Acknowledge and e-signature functionality. But what happens when it’s time to put policy into practice? If you’re feeling out of your depth when it comes to helping your employees navigate challenging personal circumstances like the ones described above, you can exhale… because you’re not alone. [Payworks’ HR Advisory Services](https://www.payworks.ca/solutions/hr-advisory-services) also connects you with confidential advice from industry experts. Think of it as adding an on-call pro to your team (but without expanding your headcount!). Curious to learn more about how Payworks can save you time and stress in managing your team (no matter how quickly legislation changes)? Connect with our crew at [sales@payworks.ca](mailto:sales@payworks.ca) and find out just how simple it can be. Connect with our crew and find out just how simple it can be: [https://www.payworks.ca/landing-pages/campaigns/book-a-demo.](https://www.payworks.ca/landing-pages/campaigns/book-a-demo)   Key topics in this article: [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources)[Payroll Management](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/payroll-management)[Legislation](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/legislation) These articles are produced by Payworks as an information service. They are not intended to substitute professional legal, regulatory, tax, or financial advice. Readers must rely on their own advisors, as applicable, for such advice. [![Alberta HR compliance in 2026: what you need to know](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_AB_Compliance_Aug4.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_AB_Compliance_Aug4.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/alberta-hr-compliance-in-2026-what-you-need-to-know?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | August 04, 2026 Alberta HR compliance in 2026: what you need to know Key Takeaways Alberta employers have a focused but impo… [![National Bank of Canada and Payworks: Built for Canadian Business](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_NB-PWK_July2026.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_NB-PWK_July2026.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/national-bank-of-canada-and-payworks-built-for-canadian-business?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | July 31, 2026 National Bank of Canada and Payworks: Built for Canadian Business Why Are Canadian Businesses Choosing Homegrown Solution… [![CPP2 and QPP2 Explained: What Canadian Employers Need to Know](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/CPP2%20and%20QPP2%20What%20Canadian%20Employers%20Need%20to%20Know%20in%202026.png?width=300&name=CPP2%20and%20QPP2%20What%20Canadian%20Employers%20Need%20to%20Know%20in%202026.png)](https://blog.payworks.ca/cpp2-and-qpp2-explained-what-canadian-employers-need-to-know?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | July 21, 2026 CPP2 and QPP2 Explained: What Canadian Employers Need to Know Key Takeaways: As of January 1, 2024, Canadian employer… [![Québec HR compliance in 2026: your guide to what's in effect and what's ahead](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_QCEmployment_Law_Blog_July14.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_QCEmployment_Law_Blog_July14.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/quebec-hr-compliance-in-2026-your-guide-to-whats-in-effect-and-whats-ahead?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | July 10, 2026 Québec HR compliance in 2026: your guide to what's in effect and what's … Key Takeaways Québec employers are navigating one of th… [![Pay transparency is now law in three provinces. Is your business ready?](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_PayTransparency_July7.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_PayTransparency_July7.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/pay-transparency-is-now-law-in-three-provinces-is-your-business-ready?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | July 07, 2026 Pay transparency is now law in three provinces. Is your business ready? Key Takeaways [![Is your B.C. care home’s payroll data ready for the HEABC transition?](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_BCHomecare_Legisl_June30.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_BCHomecare_Legisl_June30.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/is-your-b.c.-care-homes-payroll-data-ready-for-the-heabc-transition?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | June 30, 2026 Is your B.C. care home’s payroll data ready for the HEABC transition? Key Takeaways: Eligible unionized B.C. long-term care (… [![Record of Employment (ROE): The Canadian Employer’s Guide](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_June25.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_June25.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/everything-you-need-to-know-about-roes?hsLang=en-ca) [Innovation](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/innovation) | June 12, 2026 Record of Employment (ROE): The Canadian Employer’s Guide Key Takeaways: An ROE provides information on employmen… [![The Canadian 2026 guide to holiday stat pay employee eligibility](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_Legislation_April14-1.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_Legislation_April14-1.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/the-canadian-2026-guide-to-holiday-stat-pay-employee-eligibility?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | June 09, 2026 The Canadian 2026 guide to holiday stat pay employee eligibility Statutory holiday eligibility rules differ across every… [![Is your payroll provider keeping client data safe?](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_CyberSecurity_October3-3.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_CyberSecurity_October3-3.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/is-your-payroll-provider-keeping-client-data-safe?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | June 05, 2026 Is your payroll provider keeping client data safe? How to choose a secure payroll partner: a guide for acc… [![What do employers need to know about Québec’s National Holiday?](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogBanner_May24-1.jpg?width=300&name=BlogBanner_May24-1.jpg)](https://blog.payworks.ca/fete-nationale-du-quebec-stat-holiday-legislation?hsLang=en-ca) [Resources](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/resources) | May 29, 2026 What do employers need to know about Québec’s National Holiday? Key takeaways La fête nationale du Québec (June 24) is … ![ ](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20Stock%20Photography/Cavan%20-%20Arlee.png) ## Seeing is believing! Curious what better Canadian workforce management looks like in action (and how much time you could reclaim in your day-to-day)? Book a pressure-free, get-to-know you demo today. [REQUEST A DEMO](https://www.payworks.ca/landing-pages/campaigns/book-a-demo) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Payworks", "url" : "https://blog.payworks.ca/author/payworks" }, "dateModified" : "2025-11-24T14:59:59.960Z", "datePublished" : "2025-11-24T14:59:59.000Z", "headline" : "SK employers, are you ready for Bill 5’s changes to employment leave?", "image" : [ "https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/LegislativeUpdate_Saskatchewan_Oct15-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.payworks.ca/sk-employers-are-you-ready-for-bill-5s-changes-to-employment-leave", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks.png" }, "name" : "Payworks" } } ```