As of June 3, 2025, Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health Amendment Act took effect, making some of the most significant recent changes to The Workplace Safety and Health Act. The amendments received royal assent on June 3, 2025 and came into force that same day.
One of the biggest changes is that the Act now expressly includes the goal of enabling workers to work in psychologically safe workplaces. The law also now defines a psychologically safe workplace as one where workers’ psychological well-being is promoted and where active steps are taken to prevent harm to that well-being, whether the harm is negligent, reckless, or intentional.
This is more than wording. It signals that workplace safety in Manitoba is not limited to physical hazards. Employers should now think more broadly about workplace culture, harassment risks, toxic conduct, and other conditions that can negatively affect a worker’s mental well-being. That is an interpretation of the amendment’s practical effect, but it is consistent with the new purpose and definition added to the Act.
The amendment also made several other important changes. In situations where an employer is required to assess risk or conduct a risk assessment under the Act or its regulations, the assessment must now be carried out by a competent person. The legislation also replaces the word “accident” with “incident” in several provisions, which broadens the language used in reporting and oversight.
Another notable update is the new authority relating to medical surveillance. If the Chief Occupational Medical Officer has reason to believe a worker has been over-exposed to a harmful substance, an employer may be ordered to put a medical surveillance program in place. That gives Manitoba a stronger mechanism for responding to suspected exposure risks before they become even more serious.
The amendments also strengthen the enforcement side of reprisal complaints. Wages lost because of a reprisal can now be collected as though they were unpaid wages under The Employment Standards Code. In practical terms, this gives the recovery of lost wages a clearer collection path under existing employment standards mechanisms.
For Manitoba employers, this is a good time to review workplace safety policies, harassment procedures, investigation practices, supervisor training, and any internal risk assessment processes. If your organization still treats psychological harm as separate from workplace safety, this amendment is a clear sign that this approach is outdated.
References
The Workplace Safety and Health Amendment Act, S.M. 2025, c. 26
The Workplace Safety and Health Act, C.C.S.M. c. W210, current consolidated version
Manitoba government Bill 29 FAQ page confirming amendments took effect June 3, 2025
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