COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
- Public health restrictions: Alberta entered Step 2 on March 1.
- Book your vaccine: Albertans 5+ can get it now. Get third dose when eligible.
COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
Employment standards changes in the Farm Freedom and Safety Act came into effect on January 31, 2020.
A farm and ranch employee is someone who is employed in the primary production of:
This includes production of any of these products in greenhouses and nurseries.
Employees working in the production of cannabis on an open farm or nursery are considered farm and ranch employees.
Employees working in the production of cannabis in a greenhouse are not considered farm and ranch employees and are covered by all regular employment standards rules.
Employees doing work other than primary production are not considered farm and ranch employees. These employees are covered by all regular employment standards rules.
This includes:
The following people are exempt from the rules in the Employment Standards Code:
Owner means a shareholder, sole proprietor or partner
All of the following are considered family members of the owner and owner’s spouse (married, common-law partner or adult-interdependent partner):
A “long-term employee” is a farm and ranch worker who has been employed with the farm for 6 consecutive months or longer. For example, if an employee started work on March 1, 2019, they will become a long-term employee on September 1, 2019.
A farm is only considered a small farm when it has 5 or fewer waged, non-family, long-term farm and ranch employees. On the day that the 6th farm and ranch employee has been employed for 6 months, the farm stops being a small farm, and employment standards apply to all waged, non-family farm and ranch employees.
If farm and ranch employees leave their employment, are terminated, or their contracts expire, the farm will go back to the small farm rules immediately, on the day that the operation has 5 or fewer long-term farm and ranch employees. Once the operation is a small farm, all farm and ranch workers are exempt from all employment standards.
Only farm and ranch employees working in primary production are counted in determining if a farm is a small farm. Employees who do other work on a farm are not counted.
To determine if an operation is a small farm, count the number of the waged, non-family, long-term farm and ranch employees. If it is 5 or fewer, the farm is considered a small farm, regardless of how many other employees are working there. The number of family members, seasonal employees, short-term workers, and workers not involved in primary production is not included in the count.
Employment standards apply or do not apply to all farm and ranch employees on a farm. If an operation is a small farm, all farm and ranch employees are exempt from employment standards. If an operation is not a small farm, all waged, non-family, farm and ranch employees are covered by farm and ranch rules for employment standards. This includes short-term farm and ranch employees.
Employees who are not farm and ranch employees are covered by all regular employment standards rules. This applies to work on a small farm or a large farm.
Farm and ranch employment standards rules apply to farming and ranching employees who receive wages, are not family members, and do not work on small farms and ranches. These employees:
All waged, non-family, farm and ranch employees who do not work on small farms and ranches are subject to and covered by regular employment standards rules about payment of wages, record-keeping (pay stubs), vacation pay, and administration and enforcement of employment standards.
Employers must provide farm and ranch employees with at least 4 days of rest within every 28 days.
An employee is entitled to general holiday pay if they have worked for the same employer for at least 30 workdays in the 12 months prior to the holiday.
For eligible employees, general holiday pay varies depending on whether the employee works on the holiday or not.
If a farm and ranch employee does not work on a general holiday, the employer must:
If a farm and ranch employee works on a general holiday, the employer must pay an amount that is at least equal to the employee's wage for each hour of work on the general holiday and either:
See General holidays for more information.
Alberta’s youth employment rules don’t apply to farms and ranches. Youth who are not family members follow the same rules as other farm and ranch employees.
Employees who are not farm and ranch employees are covered by all regular employment standards rules.
Part 1, section 2.1 of the Employment Standards Code and section 43.8-43.84 of the Regulation sets out the exceptions to the rules for farm and ranch employees.
Disclaimer: In the event of any discrepancy between this information and Alberta Employment Standards legislation, the legislation is considered correct.
Was this page helpful?
You will not receive a reply. Do not enter any personal information such as telephone numbers, addresses, or emails.
Your submissions are monitored by our web team and are used to help improve the experience on Alberta.ca. If you require a response, please go to our Contact page.