To our Partners in Inclusion,
We are thrilled to share with you that earlier this month, amended regulations governing New Brunswick’s Employment Standards Act were enacted.
Previously, there was a loophole in the Act that allowed New Brunswick workers with a disability to receive a small stipend for doing many of the same tasks as their coworkers. This exception was often used when they were engaged in “work experience” activities, arranged by community agencies. The Act simply did not protect New Brunswickers with an intellectual or developmental disability to ensure they are paid the same as their coworkers.
Kyra Thomas, a change-making self-advocate, and her mother, Debbie, have been involved in the fight for minimum wage equality for many years. This began when Kyra worked for a large retail chain and was receiving a stipend of just $20 per week. Kyra left that job and found one that paid her minimum wage. More than six years later, Kyra still works at Value Village in Fredericton as a valued team member. Because of this experience, Kyra and Debbie, supported by Inclusion NB, advocated to see this law changed. In December of 2022, the Act was amended to prevent the use of stipends and realize real pay for real work for every New Brunswick worker.
Since then, Inclusion NB has continually advocated for and provided feedback on the amendments to the General Regulation of the Act. Our thanks to the Department of Post-Secondary Training and Labour, and other government partners, for their role in this historic legislative change that went into effect on August 1, 2024.
We encourage all New Brunswick employers and advocates to review the amended Act:
and the accompanying regulations:
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/ag-pg/PDF/RegulationsReglements/2024/2024-56.pdf
Inclusion NB will continue to be a resource for our government partners, employment agencies and New Brunswick employers on minimum wage equality and the full inclusion of persons with a disability in the workplace.
