LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Laws

Aug 28: Responding to new U.S. tariffs, Prince Edward Island rolled out a new $10 million Tariff Working Capital Assistance Program offering businesses up to $500,000 in working capital at an interest rate of four per cent over seven years. Interest-only repayments will be required for the first two years. Innovation PEI will also provide non-repayable grants of up to $50,000 to help provincial businesses explore new markets, develop new supply chains, and increase productivity.

Action Point: Find out about how tariffs affect your OHS program.

New Laws

Aug 20: From now through September 17, PEI will hold consultations on proposed regulations to protect temporary foreign workers. Highlights: i. Employers must register with province and provide information about their business, recruitment practices, positions being filled, wages, benefits, and foreign worker employment; ii. New publicly accessible employer registry; and iii. Administrative penalties ranging from $500 to $3,000.

Ergonomics

Aug 14: The back was the part of the body that resulted in the most time loss injury claims in the province in 2025, the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of PEI reported. While back injuries can happen in many ways, manual lifting was one of the common cause of claims.

Action Point: Find out how to implement an Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention and Compliance Game Plan at your workplace.

Emergency Response

Aug 14: With hurricane season approaching its normally expected peak, PEI announced that more than 30 provincial civil servants have received enhanced training to help operate reception centres during extreme weather and other emergencies. The training included reception centre operations, emergency management, and psychological first aid.

Action Point: Use the OHS Insider template to create a legally sound Emergency Preparedness & Response Policy at your workplace.

Industry Challenges

Aug 10: The federal government is offering oyster harvesters in PEI a one-time payment of $40,000 for voluntarily agreeing to the permanent retirement of their wild oyster licences and permits. The new Oyster Licence Retirement Grant Program is designed to ease pressure on wild oyster stocks which have diminished by the spread of the diseases MSX and Dermo.

New Laws

Aug 11: The federal Minister of Fisheries announced the launch of Phase 2 of a major reconstruction project at Red Head Harbour in PEI. Under this phase of the multi-year, multi-million dollar project, reconstruction of the western wharf will be completed to ensure continued use of the harbour to support the local fishing industry.

Workers’ Compensation

Sep 8: The WCB completed public surveying on its proposed 2027–2029 Strategic Plan. The agency says it wants to gain a better understanding of how emerging technologies, innovative service approaches, and evolving client expectations can bolster workplace safety, improve service delivery, and support positive return-to-work outcomes.

CASES

Workplace Harassment: Worker Denied Psychological Injury Benefits Got a Fair Hearing

An employee appealed the WCB’s decision to deny her workers’ compensation benefits for the psychological injury she claimed she suffered as a result of being bullied and harassed at work. The PEI Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal (WCAT) rejected the appeal, including the allegation that the WCB didn’t do a fair investigation. The rules of fairness require that the employee have an opportunity to provide her evidence, that witnesses be interviewed, and that the decision be based on the evidence. All of those requirements were met in this case, the WCAT concluded [PEIWCAT #435, 2026 CanLII 88302 (PE IWCAT), August 13, 2026].

Action Point: Find out how to implement an effective Workplace Harassment Compliance Game Plan that provides for prompt, fair and thorough investigation of harassment complaints.