Eighteen months into the coronavirus pandemic and counting, one of its hottest topics is still up for debate. Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work The lack of adequate and consistent paid sick leave constitutes a gaping hole in Canada’s public health and social security response to COVID-19. As public health […]
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made legislated bereavement leave policies top of mind for both employers and employees. As of Sept. 15, at least one in 1,376 Canadian residents have died from the coronavirus, for a total of 27,315 deaths, according to The New York Times. Bereavement leave is available for employees across most Canadian jurisdictions and some of […]
Ontario is extending a temporary paid sick leave program for workers until the end of this year. Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced that the coronavirus pandemic program set to expire on Sept. 25 will be extended to Dec. 31, 2021. He said the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant prompted the move, to give more […]
The union president for the Canadian Border Services Agency employees is “relieved” after reaching a new tentative agreement that includes retirement benefits and new paid leave programs. Under the four-year agreement, which dates back to 2018, the Treasury Board has committed to working toward the introduction of early retirement benefits for the border employees, along […]
The first strike at Vale Canada in more than a decade is drawing to a close after unionized workers at the Sudbury, Ont., mine ratified a collective agreement that includes improved pension and health benefits. Through the agreement — which expires May 31, 2026 — the monthly pre-age 65 defined benefit pension will increase by $50 to […]
Bumble Inc. is introducing paid leave and a biannual company-wide week off for its global employees. The dating app, which has offices in Russia, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S., is rolling out the paid leave to ensure employees are caring for themselves outside of work, according to a statement. It includes: a minimum of […]
Ontario’s temporary paid sick leave program is receiving less uptake than initially expected. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday that, as of July 21, a total of $13.2 million in claims have been made to the program, which is retroactive to April 19 and ends on Sept. 25. When the program was first launched this […]
Contract negotiations are continuing between Chartwell Master Care and the union representing employees at an Ottawa-area retirement home, after the employer proposed cuts to paid sick days and changes to bereavement leave. The proposed cuts at Chartwell Stonehaven include a reduced annual cap on sick days — from 12 to six — for full-time employees, […]
Although vaccinations have been ramping up across the country, almost half (46 per cent) of Canadians who are working from home are anxious about contracting the virus if and when they return to the office, according to a survey conducted by Workplace Strategies for Mental Health on behalf of the Canada Life Assurance Co. The […]
With the 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards’ nomination process drawing to a close in a couple of weeks, Benefits Canada is pleased to announce this year’s panel of judges. The deadline for this year’s awards has been extended to July 7, at which time the awards entries will be turned over to several industry experts. Read: Deadline […]