Canadian HR Reporter Weekly

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2018 CANADIAN HR REPORTER WEEKLY e federal government has committed to an overhaul of the Canada Labour Code (CLC) to ensure it better reflects the realities of the 21st century. Established in the 1960s, the CLC sets out the basic rights for the 900,000 employees in federally regulated industries such as banking, telecommunications and interprovincial and international transportation. "A modern set of federal labour standards will better protect Canadian workers and help set the stage for good-quality jobs, especially for workers in part-time, temporary or low-wage jobs — many of whom are struggling to balance work and family," said Employment Minister Patty Hajdu. "Standards that reflect current workplace realities will help employers recruit and retain employees while also improving their well-being." Last month, the government released a What We Heard report, stemming from consultations that included more than 3,000 participants. e report encompassed 11 months of feedback the government received about labour standards modernization. Key themes included improved access to leaves and annual vacation, further support of work-life balance, and pressure to update scheduling provisions and protections around employees in non- standard work agreements. Job insecurity, the possibility of implementing a federal minimum wage and the right to disconnect were also addressed in the report. e government had previously made changes to the CLC in December 2017, including strengthening compliance and enforcement provisions, adding a right to request flexible work arrangements, and introducing new unpaid leaves for family responsibilities. e next round of changes is expected to be in place by next September, following the introduction of legislation this fall. Changing workplaces e expected changes follow in the footsteps of Ontario's recent employment standards overhaul, with alterations planned for everything from scheduling to equal pay for equal work provisions, according to Michelle Henry, part- ner at Borden Ladner Gervais in Toronto. "Part of what we saw with the provincially regulated employers that we are seeing under these proposals is it tends to be more employee-friendly and tends to take away from some of the flexibility which employees actually need," she said. "ere is a need to take a look at it. But I think we need to be cautious in terms of what we try to regulate as opposed to protecting employees, but also allowing employers to have the flexibility to grow their business as required." e choice to update the CLC is a solid — if not symbolic — gesture by the government, said Scott Schieman, sociology professor at the University of Toronto. Legislation can help shift corporate culture in a time when workers simply want to feel valued, he said. "I don't think it's an empty gesture or an empty symbol," said Schieman. "e word 'right' — the right to disconnect — implies that somebody's looking out for your well-being and you're not just a worker 24-7. For-profit companies could benefit — not-for-profit as well — with the understanding that there is life outside of work, and often those kinds of needs are really important to be mindful of." Work-life balance, right to disconnect focus of government's planned changes Caution required to maintain flexibility for business growth: Lawyer BY MARCEL VANDER WIER Sign up for the Canadian HR Newswire today for free and enjoy great content from the publishers of Canadian HR Reporter. HR News at Your Fingertips THE LATEST NEWS THE BEST COMMENTARY DELIVERED WEEKLY FOR READING ON ANY DEVICE Visit www.hrreporter.com/ canadian-hr-newswire

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