A 2023 federal budget proposal to require employers to report dental coverage as part of the national dental-care program will be onerous on plan sponsors and still leaves more questions than answers, says Pam Martin, vice-president and senior consultant at Baynes & White Inc. Since dental benefits are important to an individual’s mental health, the federal government […]
Most gig workers in Seattle will be permanently entitled to paid sick leave under a new law that expands coronavirus pandemic-era protections and strengthens labour rights for app-based workers. Under the law, workers will accrue one day of paid sick or safe leave — to be used when caring for themselves or a family member […]
In its 2023 budget on Tuesday, the federal government proposed roughly $13 billion over the next five years and $4.4 billion ongoing to fully implement the national dental-care program. The plan — to be administered by Health Canada, with support from a third-party benefits administrator — will provide dental coverage for uninsured Canadians with annual […]
President Joe Biden’s order that federal employees in the U.S. get vaccinated against the coronavirus has been blocked by a federal appeals court. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has rejected arguments that Biden, as the nation’s chief executive, has the same authority as the chief executive officer of a private corporation to require […]
In Ontario’s 2023 budget, which was announced on Thursday, the provincial government confirmed its temporary paid sick day program will expire on March 31, 2023. The measure, which was introduced during the coronavirus pandemic and provided three paid sick days to workers, was designed to support people who needed to take time off work to […]
British Columbia is introducing pay transparency legislation to help close the province’s gender pay gap. Once the legislation is passed on Nov. 1, 2023, all B.C. employers will be required to include wage or salary ranges on all publicly advertised jobs. Employers will also be required to publicly post reports on their gender pay gap, […]
More than half (51 per cent) of U.S. workers say there’s a gender pay gap in their workplaces, up 121 per cent since 2019, according to a new survey by software company Beqom. The survey, which polled 1,000 U.S. employees and 1,000 U.K. employees, found roughly a third of U.S. (35 per cent) and U.K. (31 […]
The union representing 750 mining workers at Mosaic Potash Esterhazy Ltd. in Esterhazy, Sask. has ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. The agreement includes a .25 per cent increase in employer contributions to the company’s defined contribution pension plan, while members of the defined benefit pension plan will receive a monthly increase […]
Canada’s employment insurance system requires modernization to withstand future economic challenges and to ensure Canadians’ financial security, according to a new report by the Institute for Research on Public Policy. The proportion of unemployed Canadians eligible for EI has decreased from 80 per cent in the 1980s to 40 per cent today, it said, noting […]
As Ontario eyes a new system of portable benefits for precarious workers, one expert says these benefits can be an important attraction and retention tool for employers, while another believes employee considerations should be prioritized amid the rise of the gig economy. Laura Williams, founder and managing partner, Williams HR Law LLP Like anything when […]