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 […]
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union is giving its staff more paid sick days until the end of the coronavirus pandemic or for the duration of respective collective agreements. The OPSEU is extending its annual paid sick leave from seven to 10 days and will give all of its temporary workers 10 fully paid sick […]
Canadian employers are making ongoing changes to their pension and benefits offerings as the coronavirus pandemic drags on, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey found almost one in five (18 per cent) employers offering prescription drug coverage have extended the time allowed under prior authorization periods, […]
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 the wake of upheaval in 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic and racially charged events in the U.S. that ignited a year of social justice unrest across the globe, Twitter Inc. implemented its #DaysofRest additional paid-time-off initiative to support its employees amid the turmoil. Employees were disheartened and emotionally exhausted by events in the […]
Workers in Ontario will soon be able access three paid sick days to help them self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic, but critics said the policy announced April 28 falls far short of what’s required to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government had for months resisted intense pressure from health experts and advocates […]
Alberta recently joined a growing list of provinces and territories that are amending legislation to introduce paid time off for workers who wish to get the coronavirus vaccine. The legislation, which took effect on April 21, ensures all employees in Alberta are now eligible for up to three hours of paid time off to get […]
Alberta will begin offering coronavirus vaccines to thousands of meat-packing employees across the province starting this week, but a union leader says some workers are reluctant to receive a shot from the government or an employer they don’t trust. The provincial government says starting Tuesday, vaccines will be offered to more than 15,000 workers at 136 […]
As it becomes increasingly clear that workplaces are a key transmission location in the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, some Canadian employers are offering paid sick leave to their employees in the absence of government action. Paid sick leave benefits, which allow workers to call in sick without fear of losing a day’s pay, […]
While a national pharmacare program is yet to be revealed by the federal government, any future plan should contain provisions for all costly treatments and not just rare diseases, says Jennifer Schmidt, a principal at Mercer Canada. Read: Federal budget highlights national childcare system, extension of pandemic subsidies This week’s federal budget announcement contained only […]