The union representing employees of Dominion Stores supermarkets in Newfoundland is accusing parent company, Loblaw Companies Ltd., of using an increasing number of part-time employees in order to eliminate full-time jobs. Loblaw offered voluntary buyout packages to its full-time staffers in Newfoundland in June, with the aim of eliminating 44 positions, as part of what […]
Employers are offering more innovative ways for workers to take time off, according to a survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey, which compiled responses from more than 600 U.S. human resources and benefits professionals and other stakeholders, found 59 per cent of organizations provide a paid vacation plan while 36 […]
Providing income support for a year to people who are too sick to work would cost the federal government $1 billion more than its current program, the parliamentary spending watchdog said Thursday. As is, the benefit available through employment insurance covers just over half of a worker’s earnings for 15 weeks, and nearly four in […]
Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre employees will see a 55 per cent increase in their health benefits reimbursement amount and an additional day of bereavement as part of their newly ratified union contract. The contract, which covers 55 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1006A, will run from Dec. 31, 2018 to December […]
It’s impossible to avoid the simple truth that people get sick, which often keeps them away from work. But which specific health conditions are keeping employees from doing their jobs? The usual suspects Plan sponsors don’t typically capture the reason for a casual absence in terms of a medical condition, says Paula Allen, vice-president of […]
The 40 employees at Welkin Child and Youth Services in Woodstock, Ont. have voted to take strike action if they can’t reach a new collective agreement by Dec. 5, 2018. In a news release, the employees’ union, Unifor Local 302, said new management at Welkin has tabled concessions to certain benefits, specifically eliminating vision care, reductions to […]
A national doctors’ group is raising concerns about the Ontario government’s move to allow employers to require workers to provide a doctor’s note to explain even minor illnesses, such as the common cold. Canadian Medical Association president Dr. Gigi Osler says the measure, included in the government’s Bill 47, could cause public health issues, as […]
The Trudeau government is seeking to give federally regulated workers more paid personal leave days in a proposal that arrives as Ontario moves to cut workers’ time-off entitlements. Federal budget legislation, if passed, would let workers take up to five days off each calendar year for reasons such as the care of relatives, children’s educations […]
As part of the Ontario government’s new bill amending the Employment Standards Act, it’s bringing back the option for employers to request a medical note from employees taking sick leave, family responsibility leave or bereavement leave. As legislation currently stands, employers may require evidence classified as “reasonable in the circumstances” to prove an employee is eligible to […]
Only 40 per cent of Canadians who are classified as precarious workers have access to pension plans or registered retirement savings plans, compared to 85 per cent of those who are identified as secure professionals, according to a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The report, which surveyed 1,000 Canadians, found 78 per cent are secure professionals, while […]