New federal labour law changes a giant step backwards for innovation and productivity

New labour standards tabled on October 29 by the federal government in its omnibus budget bill are deeply concerning for small businesses already dealing with a slew of punitive tax changes and increasing payroll costs, warns the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

“Just after the new Ontario government got rid of many of these job-killing ideas, the feds come along and pull them into the Canada Labour Code,” said Dan Kelly, CFIB’s president. “There is nothing in this that will improve the innovation or productivity of a single Canadian workplace. Instead, it will bind the hands of entrepreneurs with reams of new red tape.”

The labour changes included in Bill C-86, Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, will introduce new standards for federally-regulated businesses starting as soon as next year:

  • Five days of personal leave, with three of those days paid
  • Requirement to provide 96 hours (4 days) advance notice of schedules
  • Four weeks of paid vacation after 10 years or more of service
  • Eliminating the length of service requirement for certain leaves, including parental leave
  • Complex equal pay rules for casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees

“Instead of modernizing workplace rules, this will move us backwards to the days where everyone had or wanted to have a 9 to 5 job with little flexibility to balance their needs,” added Kelly. “We are concerned for SMEs that are federally regulated and even more concerned that big unions will use this to pressure provincial governments – which regulate the majority of workplaces – to do the same.”

“It is alarming that changes of this nature are included in a budget implementation bill, providing almost no opportunity for SMEs to share their concerns,” Kelly said. “It appears government has learned very little from last year’s small business tax change fiasco.”

Government has also launched an expert panel to examine issues like minimum wage, the right to disconnect and providing a collective voice for non-unionized employees. “It will be critical to have small business representation in this future review,” Kelly concluded. “Are unions now calling for mandatory dues from workers who don’t wish to be unionized?”

Zoltán is a self-taught publisher and events organizer who has developed several brands and services that have increased the notoriety of his company within multi-billion dollar industries. In 2018, he has become a TEDx speaker and talked about reputation management in the digital era. As Co-Founder of HIPTHER Agency, Zoltan has helped develop highly respected online news portals, virtual and in-person conferences that cater to multiple industries on 5 continents. Among the developed brands and services you can find online news portals that cover several tech industries, gaming, blockchain, fintech, artificial intelligence, and more. In parallel, the company has built a portfolio of annually organized boutique-style conferences in Europe and North America. All the events organized by his company focus on bringing a wealth of information about the latest innovation in several industries such as Entertainment, Technology, Gaming and Gambling, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, Quantum Technology, Legal Cannabis, Health and Lifestyle, VR/AR, eSports and many more. Zoltan enjoys writing articles on all portals owned by the HIPTHER Agency, talking at conferences, hosting the weekly HIPTHER Talks Podcast, and loves spending time with his family. Zoltan is a duathlete who enjoys training for different international competitions which include running and cycling.