Tips for employers
Young and new workers look to employers for information about workplace rules.
The minimum age of employment in Saskatchewan is 16. Youths aged 14 or 15 can work but must complete the Young Worker Readiness Certificate course and obtain a certificate of completion before beginning a job. The certificate, along with written consent from a parent or guardian, must be provided to you and kept on file.
Youths aged 14 and 15 cannot work:
- more than 16 hours a week when school is in session
- after 10 p.m. on a day before school
- before classes start on any school day
These rules do not apply during school breaks (such as Christmas or Easter breaks) and summer vacation. During breaks and vacations, youths aged 14 and 15 can work the same hours as other employees.
For more information, visit Saskatchewan Young Worker Readiness Certificate course
In Saskatchewan, section 3-3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 states there are industries where youth cannot work.
People under 18 years of age cannot work:
- underground or in an open pit at a mine
- as a radiation worker
- in an asbestos process
- in a silica process
- in any activity that requires the use of an atmosphere supplying respirator
People under 16 years of age cannot work:
- on a construction site
- in a production process at a pulp mill, sawmill or woodworking establishment
- in a production process at a smelter, foundry, refinery or metal processing or fabricating operation
- in a confined space (such as a manhole)
- in a production process in a meat, fish or poultry processing plant
- in a forestry or logging operation
- on a drilling or servicing rig
- as an operator of powered mobile equipment (such as a forklift), a crane or a hoist
- if exposure to a chemical or biological substance is likely to endanger the health or safety of the young worker
- in power line construction or maintenance
Everyone in the workplace is legally responsible for workplace safety. Your employees have three basic rights under the Saskatchewan Employment Act
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| 1. The right to know what hazards are present in the workplace. |
2. The right to participate in keeping the workplace healthy and safe | 3. The right to refuse work that they believe to be unusually dangerous to themselves and their co-workers |
Your employees also have responsibilities in the workplace:
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- The responsibility to work safely by using all machinery and equipment in the way they were trained.
- The responsibility to report health and safety concerns, including unsafe activities and conditions, to their supervisor and ask questions if they are unsure how to do something.
- The responsibility to properly use or wear protective devices and to not remove a guard or device designed to protect them.
- The responsibility to protect themselves and others from harm as much as possible and to not harass others at work.
Tell your employees to wear safety gear. It’s the law!
As an employer you have the most care and control in the workplace, and therefore the most responsibility for health and safety. You also have a unique opportunity to be a role model for young workers. Be a part of creating tomorrow’s safe and healthy workforce by:
- Ensuring your health and safety systems, policies, procedures and programs are current.
- Knowing the hazards in your workplace and training supervisors and workers how to recognize and handle them.
- Ensuring health and safety procedures are always followed.
- Ensuring equipment, materials and protective devices required by law are provided and used properly. This includes guards on machinery and personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Ensuring all serious illnesses and injuries are reported and investigated immediately.
- Encouraging all workers, especially young ones, to alert their supervisors immediately if they see something that could endanger their own or the safety of others.
- Demonstrating commitment to health and safety with your own consistent, safe work practices and informing your staff that unsafe work practices are unacceptable.
- Providing adequate time to train young workers.
- Providing training for your supervisors.
- Responding promptly to all health and safety concerns.
- Knowing the minimum age requirements in Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan Employment Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 outline your health and safety responsibilities as an employer. Some of the responsibilities are to:
- Ensure, to a reasonable and practical extent, the health, safety and welfare of your workers at work.
- Establish an occupational health committee, or designate a worker occupational health and safety representative, when required.
- Co-operate with anyone exercising a duty under the law.
- Protect workers from harassment.
- Comply with the law.
- Provide a healthy and safe workplace.
- Manage the safe use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
- Provide the instruction, training and supervision needed to protect workers.
- Provide safe entrances and exits.
- Attend the training sessions being provided for your workers.
- Use and wear safety equipment when it is required to be used by your employees.
- Participate in fire drills and any other emergency response training.
- Treat every young worker with the same care and respect you would want given to your own child.
- Include health and safety in your company’s strategic plan.
- Personally encourage young workers to report health and safety problems they may encounter.
- Tell your young workers everything they need to know about workplace health and safety before they have to ask.
- Attend new worker welcoming get-togethers to celebrate their arrival.
- Make yourself available during new worker orientation sessions.
- Introduce new workers to key people in the organization; this may include the health and safety manager, occupational health committee members or the worker occupational health and safety representative.
- Turn every interaction with a new worker into an opportunity to reinforce your company’s health and safety values and priorities.
- Encourage new workers to come forward with ideas and suggestions.
- Make health and safety a part of all workplace communications.
- Pair up new workers with experienced, safety-conscious workers.
- Encourage supervisors to periodically take young workers on health and safety inspections to spot hazards and unsafe practices.
Employment standards are in part two of the Saskatchewan Employment Act. Employment standards set minimum wages, hours of work, public holiday pay and vacations. To learn more about employment standards, visit Saskatchewan Employment Standards.
For more information:
To understand your OHS responsibilities and to orient and train young workers, visit Saskatchewan Safety in the Workplace or call 1.800.567.7233.For information on employment standards, visit Saskatchewan Employment Standards or call 1.800.667.1783.
For compensation and prevention information for employers, go to the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board at wcbsask.com or call 1.800.667.7590. You can also visit the Employer Resource Centre (ERC) or contact the ERC at ERC@wcbsask.com or 1.833.961.0042
