Forty-two per cent of Canadian employers are anticipating an increase in medical leaves related to mental-health concerns and illnesses, according to a report by the Conference Board of Canada. The report, which surveyed 205 Canadian employers, found respondents are also expecting an increase in leaves related to cancer (15 per cent), musculoskeletal issues and injuries (13 per cent), […]
New legislation mandating equal pay for equal work will take effect in Ontario on April 1. Under the rules, casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees can’t be paid at a rate of pay less than full-time or permanent employees if they do substantially the same kind of work, in the same establishment; their work requires substantially […]
Though Canada has only two statutory religious holidays, Christmas Day and Good Friday, some Canadian employees may be seeking to take time off for other religious holy days. So how are employers required to accommodate them? Ontario’s Human Rights Commission notes “employers have a duty to accommodate an employee’s creed to the point of undue hardship, […]
While some workplaces may find it difficult to accommodate flexibility for employees with caregiving responsibilities, employers should be creative, according to one human resources consultant. “To me, I feel like it’s not that difficult to do,” Helen Patterson, a consultant at Life Works Well, told an audience at the Human Resources Professionals Association conference in Toronto on Friday. “Flexibility is not […]
New Brunswick is planning to join other provinces in offering job-protected leave for victims of domestic violence. “It is essential that New Brunswick’s employment standards legislation be continually modernized to maintain a competitive labour market and keep up with the needs of employers and employees,” said Labour, Employment and Population Growth Minister Gilles LePage. “Introducing […]
New labour law changes, particularly enhanced leave provisions in Ontario, are likely to increase costs and administrative challenges for employers, according to one expert. Amendments in Ontario’s Bill 148, which took effect on Jan. 1, include 10 days of personal emergency leave, two of which are paid; a new domestic violence leave of 10 days, five […]
With the majority of the amendments in Bill 148 taking effect in Ontario in early December, it requires employers in the province to undertake a review of their employment policies and practices to ensure compliance. The bill followed recommendations put forth in June 2017 as part of the Changing Workplace Review. The goal of the review was to […]
Alberta is implementing it’s first job-protected bereavement leave as of Jan. 1, 2018. In addition to the death of an immediate family member or of a spouse, the three-day unpaid leave is also available for the loss of a person the employee isn’t related to but considers to be like a close relative. Bereavement leave is available for employees across […]
While governments across Canada are introducing a slew of changes to leave policies for reasons related to emergency situations, illness and domestic violence, one area tends to get less attention: the needs of reservists in the Canadian Forces. As with many areas of employment legislation, the rules often differ across the country. At the federal […]
Saskatchewan is the latest province to introduce legislation providing protected leave for victims of domestic violence. Introduced on Dec. 6, 2017, the bill received royal assent the following day. The new provision allows for a maximum of 10 days of unpaid leave, whether the violence is directed at the employee personally, their children or a person for whom […]