Federally regulated workplaces are expected to begin offering free menstrual products to workers by the end of 2023. On Wednesday, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan announced changes to the Canada Labour Code that would ensure access to such products beginning Dec. 15. The changes would require federally regulated workplaces to provide menstrual products to workers at […]
Roughly 155,000 federal employees represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada are striking over remote working arrangements and wages. The union is seeking to maintain remote working arrangements for employees, noting the working arrangement has become a part of everyday life for many workers. “Our experience during [the coronavirus] pandemic has shown that public […]
A deal for the Royal Bank of Canada to absorb HSBC Bank Canada for $13.5 billion is good news for pension plans, said Dave McKay, chief executive officer of RBC. “This is good for shareholders — which are largely pension funds — and that’s average Canadian pension funds,” said McKay during a conference call. The […]
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s constitutional protections for abortion has catapulted employers of all types into the most divisive corner of politics. Some companies that stayed silent last month — when a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked to Politico — have spoken up for the first time, including […]
It’s become a common sight: jubilant Starbucks Corp. workers celebrating after successful votes to unionize at dozens of U.S. stores. But when the celebrations die down, a daunting hurdle remains: to win the changes they seek — like better pay and more reliable schedules — unionized stores must sit down with Starbucks and negotiate a […]
Canada’s pension plans are well positioned to succeed in a high inflation environment though stagflation remains a significant threat, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings. “The maturing nature of participant bases increases pension funds’ reliance on investment returns, as contributions and income from active members may be outpaced by benefits paid to a […]
Ontario is eyeing a new system to provide “portable benefits” for workers in the gig economy, retail and hospitality sectors who don’t currently have health, dental or vision coverage. Under the plan, workers would be able to keep their benefits even if they change jobs, said the province in a press release. If the plan […]
Employers are continuing to feel the squeeze, with rising prices set to push wages higher this year in a “feedback loop building” as the annual pace of inflation climbed in December 2021 to its highest rate since September 1991. In December, the consumer price index was up 4.8 per cent, compared with a year ago, reported Statistics […]
Workers turn to them for support, clients rely on them for answers, companies lean on them in times of crisis. Yet, as the coronavirus pandemic stretches inexorably on, the never-ending demands on business leaders are pushing some to the brink of burnout, some experts have warned. “Leaders are under tremendous strain,” says Paula Allen, global […]
Workers in B.C. will be eligible for “fair and balanced” sick leave pay that provides a minimum of five days a year starting Jan. 1, 2022, according to Labour Minister Harry Bains. The new sick leave policy affects all workers covered by the province’s Employment Standards Act, including part-time workers, he added. “I firmly believe that […]