During the 2015 federal election campaign, the NDP pushed hard for a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour. The proposal drew understandable criticism in light of the schism between the NDP’s efforts to tout it as a big deal and the fact it would apply only to federally regulated employees. As a result, it wouldn’t have affected many people.
But the party did make a legitimate point that having a federal minimum wage at that level would have set a standard across the country. There was no guarantee other jurisdictions would follow suit, but it was reasonable to expect such a move would have had the effect of bringing others along.
Read: What is the current minimum wage across Canada?
When it comes to other areas of the employment world, the federal government would likewise do well to show leadership despite the provinces’ jurisdictional heft. On the issue of compassionate leave for employees with caregiving responsibilities, it’s time for action given the growing pressures to care for sick or elderly relatives. And when it comes to the issue of unpaid internships, one of the reasons they’ve been able to proliferate is the fact there are so many different rules across the country.
Provinces such as British Columbia, for example, allow them in the context of formal education programs while Ontario has looser rules when it comes to positions that meet a set of conditions, including a requirement that the organization providing the training receives little or no benefit from it.
Federally, the Canada Labour Code has said little about the issue, although the government recently made moves to extend health and safety protection to interns and, in its 2015 budget implementation legislation, set out provisions that would allow for unpaid internships in certain situations. The provisions included a cap on unpaid internships at four months.
Read: Proposed measures to protect interns fall short: NDP
The provisions have sparked criticism that the government is going to allow unpaid internships outside of educational programs. If provinces such as British Columbia have set more restrictive criteria, the federal government should take the lead in setting a standard for other jurisdictions to follow. At the very least, doing so would help reinforce a moral standard around the issue. While unpaid internships have undoubtedly benefited those who gained from the experience, it’s clear employers had gone too far with them.
When it comes to compassionate care, the federal government has moved to address the issue over the years and recently launched consultations on workplace flexibility that may lead to more action. With a patchwork of protections and supports across Canada, let’s hope it will deal with the issue more comprehensively and make a statement about what people can reasonably expect when it comes to leave provisions and income supports and providing greater workplace flexibility to those with caregiving responsibilities.
Read: Liberals launch flexible working consultation
Given the potential for the federal government to show leadership, it’s time for it to demonstrate its commitment to doing what it can to assist with compassionate care.
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