Minister’s Labour Day Message

NOTE: The following is a message from Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

As we prepare to mark Labour Day 2023, I want to encourage Nova Scotians to take the time to remember what it was like to be a new employee. Whether you’ve been in your job for three years or 30, you probably remember feeling both nervous and excited in those first few months.

There are many Nova Scotians experiencing that feeling today. Whether someone is starting a first job out of school, working in Canada for the first time, re-entering the workforce after an extended leave or coming out of retirement to work again, let’s all take that extra step to make them feel welcome.

In honour of Labour Day, I encourage all working Nova Scotians to get to know a new colleague. Go beyond the typical morning “Hello” and invite them to eat lunch with you. Better yet, invite them to an event in your neighbourhood or within your social circle. Show them the kindness best experienced in Nova Scotia – and make a new friend or two!

In addition to feeling welcomed, workers need to feel safe on the job. We recently launched Nova SAFE, a mobile-friendly site that provides employers, supervisors and workers access to safety information and regulatory requirements on any device. Working safely is everyone’s responsibility, and we are taking steps to make it as easy as possible. Nova SAFE is available in both English and French here: https://www.novasafe.ca/

To all workers, we want you to know that the government is here to support you in your workplace. If you have any questions about working in the province, you can contact our labour standards division at 1-888-315-0110, and if you have any questions about safety at work, you can call 1-800-9LABOUR. The line is active 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I would like to remind employers about the Welcoming Workplaces tool kit offered free of charge through the Nova Scotia Works website. This tool kit can help build welcoming and inclusive work environments – key to both attracting and retaining the talented and skilled people you need. It’s available at: https://workplaceinitiatives.novascotia.ca/welcoming-workplaces

I wish all Nova Scotians an enjoyable and restful Labour Day weekend. Thank you for the hard work you do and for making people feel welcome and included.