Nova Scotia’s Workers’ Compensation Act will undergo significant changes on Jan. 1, 2026, expanding protections for workers and streamlining processes for employers.
The amendments modernize the system and include longer appeal periods, expanded survivor benefits, and presumptive cancer coverage for more firefighters. Some benefit improvements, including full cost-of-living indexing, take effect in 2027.
Extended appeal period
Workers will have 90 days to appeal a claim decision, up from 30 days. The extended timeline gives workers more time to gather medical records, seek advice, and make informed decisions about their appeal.
Expanded survivor benefits
Survivor benefits will now extend to dependent adult children or other dependents in the case of a worker’s death due to a workplace injury. If no dependents exist, benefits will go to the worker’s estate.
Presumptive cancer coverage
Wildland firefighters and fire investigators will have the same presumptive cancer coverage as municipal firefighters. If diagnosed with a job-related cancer, their claim will be automatically presumed work-related. The coverage applies retroactively to eligible workers diagnosed before the law takes effect.
Updated definition of spouse
The act now explicitly includes common-law partners and same-sex spouses, ensuring equal access to survivor benefits for all families.
Full cost-of-living adjustments
Starting in 2027, benefits will be indexed to 100% of inflation, up to 3% per year. The Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia said its strong financial position makes this possible without increasing employer premiums.
Changes for employers
Employers must report workplace injuries within two days, down from five days. Faster reporting allows workers to access benefits sooner and return-to-work planning to begin earlier.
Employers will receive functional ability information, such as lifting restrictions, so they can offer safe modified duties. Only information necessary for safe accommodation will be shared.
Transportation costs for getting an injured worker to care, such as by ambulance, are now part of overall claims costs rather than a separate expense for employers.
Extended Earnings Replacement Benefits can now be reviewed when a worker’s situation changes, rather than waiting for the three-year or five-year review period.
The Workers’ Compensation Board will have the option to publish the names of employers who receive administrative penalties.
Technical updates
The amendments also include technical and administrative changes, including clarifying how Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan disability benefits interact with Workers’ Compensation Board benefits, updating annuity payments to lump sums at age 65, simplifying fatality reporting by removing duplicate requirements for hospitals, and removing restrictions on funding for workplace safety research and prevention programs.
