Employees affected by the coronavirus in British Columbia will qualify for up to three days of paid sick leave under proposed legislation that Premier John Horgan expects will plug holes in a federal plan and lay the groundwork for a permanent program. Horgan says the program will bridge the gap for workers between the time they first feel […]
While the debate over paid sick days intensifies across Canada, only two provinces currently offer this benefit on a permanent basis. On April 30, Ontario passed a three-day sick leave policy — to be administered through the Workplace Insurance and Safety Board — retroactive to April 19 and ending on Sept. 25. Employers will be […]
In its 2021 budget on Wednesday, the Ontario government said it’s requiring pension plan administrators to calculate and report their plan’s claim exposure to the pension benefits guarantee fund, to support the protection of benefits into the future. A review of the fund, discussed in the province’s 2020 budget, found there was a need for […]
Earlier this month, Ontario premier Doug Ford announced in the provincial legislature that he would be axing Bill 148, an assortment of changes to the Employment Standards Act that the former Liberals put in place this year. Highlights of the bill included a raise to the minimum wage; a mandate of equal pay for equal work; personal emergency […]
New regulations in New Brunswick providing paid leave for victims of domestic, intimate partner or sexual violence took effect on Sept. 1. The new regulations allow up to 10 days of leave to be used intermittently or continuously, and up to 16 weeks to be used in one continuous period, of which the first five days will […]
When my fiancée and I decided to get a puppy in July, one of the first decisions we faced was whether or not to get pet insurance. In the past, I had a dog with a number of medical issues, so insurance appealed to me. However, after looking at the cost breakdown and the fact that a lot […]
Expanded leave of absence entitlements in British Columbia, including parental and compassionate leave, took effect at the end of May. The changes to the province’s Employment Standards Act allow mothers to start their maternity leave as early as 13 weeks before their expected due date, which is up from the previous 11 weeks. The province also […]
The new five-week parental sharing benefit announced in the 2018 federal budget is causing some concern among employers. Commenting on Benefits Canada’s website, Asha Mohammed, director of human resources and payroll at Centennial College’s Tribute Communities, asked: “Why a new leave again? This is such an expense to employers who are already stressed with all the leaves.” Dan Kelly, […]
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 […]
The federal government only recently revamped parental leave, but it’s already looking at even further changes through a dedicated paternity leave. In a report this week, The Canadian Press cited multiple sources who suggested the government is considering options such as a new benefit, similar to a program in Quebec, that would earmark a portion of […]