Legislation Will Allow Debt Collection Industry to Continue Working Remotely

The Province continues to give the debt collection industry more flexibility, with amendments to the Collection and Debt Management Agencies Act introduced today, October 19.

Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services Minister Colton LeBlanc introduced the amendments, which will allow debt management agents and individual collectors to continue to contact and work with Nova Scotians remotely, from home.

“These amendments will help modernize our legislation while also bringing our industry in line with practices across the country,” said Minister LeBlanc. “Employees working in the industry have proven they can work responsibly and effectively from home during the pandemic and we would like to allow them to continue to do so, as they have requested.”

Since March 2020, debt collectors within and outside the province have been allowed to temporarily work from home when contacting people living in Nova Scotia. The temporary measures were put in place to help keep employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with the amendments, requirements that focus on consumers’ privacy and protection will be introduced later.

Quick Facts:

• there are over 60 licensed collection and debt management agencies conducting business in Nova Scotia and about 2,000 individual collectors and debt management agents
• Nova Scotia is one of two provinces in Canada that typically do not allow those in the collections industry to work from home