Canadian businesses must provide their employees with fair working conditions, sufficient pay, and a healthy work-life balance. As such, the Government of Canada has defined labour mandates to protect workers.
In 2019, the Canadian government established the Expert Panel on Modern Federal Labour Standards. Today, the panel provides guidance on the federal minimum wage, accessibility and portability of benefits, and other issues that affect Canadian businesses and their employees.
Beginning in 2019, several labour mandate changes have been implemented across Canada. For Canadian businesses, it is important to understand up-to-date labour mandates and comply with them. That way, these businesses can ensure their workers can be successful.
Now, let’s look at some of the current Canadian labour mandates.
1. Leaves
Canadian employees are eligible to take a personal leave of up to five days. In addition, the first three days of personal leave are paid for employees with at least three months of service.
Also, the Government of Canada states that a leave can be taken for any of the following reasons:
- Traditional indigenous practices
- Court or jury duty
- Bereavement
- Medical reasons
- Family violence
Furthermore, the Canadian government does not require a minimum period of employment to be completed for employees to qualify for leaves for the following reasons:
- Medical reasons
- Maternity or paternity
- Critical illness
- Death or disappearance of a child
The aforementioned leave mandates have been in effect as of Sept. 1, 2019.
2. Annual Vacations and General Holidays
Workers in Canada can take a vacation for more than one pay period, as long as their employer agrees to it. Meanwhile, Canadian employees can postpone or interrupt vacation if they are eligible for another leave and substitute another day for a general holiday.
The Government of Canada does not require a minimum period of employment for workers to receive general holiday pay, too. And, employees can receive three weeks of paid annual vacation after five years of service. Plus, they can receive four weeks of paid annual vacation after 10 years of service.
3. Work Hours, Overtime, and Breaks
In terms of work schedules, Canadian businesses may be required to provide up to 96 hours’ written notice to employees. These companies must give their employees 30-minute breaks for every five hours they work. They must also provide workers with an eight-hour rest period between shifts.
The Government of Canada gives employees the ability to accept or refuse overtime. So, a worker can accept overtime from their employer and be compensated with paid time off in lieu of additional pay. Or, a worker can refuse overtime to deal with family responsibilities.
Lastly, Canadian employees can request flexible work arrangements. In these instances, they can ask for changes to hours of work, work schedules, or location of work.
Stay Up to Date on Labour Mandates
For Canadian businesses, you are responsible for complying with labour mandates. Failure to do so can result in compliance penalties. It can also damage a company’s reputation, to the point where the business struggles to attract and retain top talent.
Of course, if you need help generating interest from quality job candidates, Employment Professionals Canada can provide assistance. We are a professional staffing agency that helps Canadian businesses fill a wide range of roles. To learn more about how we partner with companies in Canada, please contact us today.
