Canada Labour Code, Part III
Federal Employment Standards Under the Canada Labour Code
Learn which private-sector workplaces generally follow federal labour standards and where to find the official rules for hours, holidays, vacation and termination.
Key point
Federal labour standards cover employees in federally regulated businesses and industries, not everyone who works in Canada. Most employees are covered by the province or territory where they work.
- Identify the employer’s real undertaking, not merely its customers or corporate registration.
- Border-crossing transportation, banks, telecom and listed federal undertakings are common federal categories.
- Use Part III sources only after federal coverage is reasonably confirmed.
Common federally regulated industries
Examples include banks, telecommunications and broadcasting, postal services, air transportation, interprovincial or international rail and road transportation, ports and pipelines, uranium and atomic energy, and federal Crown corporations.
What Part III covers
Federal standards address hours of work and overtime, minimum wage, general holidays, vacation, leaves, wage payment, termination and severance for covered employees.
When coverage is uncertain
Integrated businesses, local contractors serving federal undertakings, mobile work and Indigenous governance can require fact-specific review. Use the checker as routing assistance and confirm with the Labour Program.
Related WageWise resources
Official sources
Rules can change and special occupations, agreements or facts can alter the result. Confirm the current official rule for the jurisdiction where the work is performed.