An employee with 5 years service as an Administrative Assistant for a small bookkeeping company in Nova Scotia is being terminated due to a shortage of work. How much working notice or legislated wages in lieu of notice is the employee entitled to receive from the employer?

• A. 2 weeks
• B. 4 weeks
• C. 6 weeks
• D. 8 weeks

Answer: (B)

In Nova Scotia, the minimum notice an employer must give or pay in lieu of notice for termination without cause depends on how long the employee has worked for the company. The longer you’ve been there, the more notice you’re entitled to. With five years of service, the statutory requirement is four weeks. This can be satisfied either by the employee actually working during those four weeks or by paying wages in lieu of that notice period. When paying in lieu, the amount should reflect the employee’s regular earnings for that period. The four-week minimum can be increased if a contract or collective agreement provides for greater notice, but the statutory minimum in this scenario is four weeks.