Location: Alberta

Industry / Role: Retail Part-Time Sales Associate (Store Ownership Transition)

Background & Context:

Ownership Transition: My retail store was recently acquired by new franchise owners. I have continuous long-term service at this specific location.

Invalid Probation Clause: To retain me, the new owners issued a contract stating that after a 3-month "probation" period, I will receive a new letter with benefits as per standard law.

Delayed Vacation Pay: The revised letter attempts to delay my statutory benefits and 4% vacation pay accrual until after this 3-month mark.

Employment Standards Confirmation: I already have direct email confirmation from an Alberta Employment Standards officer stating that under Section 5 of the Code, my employment is continuous and a new probationary reset is legally invalid.

Disability Status: I am a disabled employee who uses a wheelchair. I have been successfully performing this job for months, and I am returning to work under these new owners on September 16.

Questions:

Does signing this revised offer letter strictly to secure my schedule ($17/hr, 10–15 hrs/wk) weaken my legal protections regarding Section 5 (continuous service) or Section 4 (prohibition against contracting out of statutory minimums like vacation pay)?

Because I use a wheelchair, what is the employer's legal duty to accommodate me during this transition?

If the new owners attempt to alter my physical floor duties, claim I cannot perform my role, or try to terminate me at the 90-day mark citing "probation failure," how does the Alberta Human Rights Act intersect with my continuous service rights to protect me?

What specific details should I document on the floor starting September 16 to build a protective paper trail against bad-faith management or discrimination?