How to treat employees better

 All business owners have the responsibility of taking care of their employees. Your employees are the driving force behind the success of your company and, therefore, it’s essential that you’re able to keep them satisfied and content in order to retain your very best staff. By giving your staff members

Pros and Cons of an Expanded Canada Pension Plan

 A new report came out this week that reiterates what we’ve heard from other sources a few times now: Canadians aren’t saving nearly enough for retirement. The Deputy Chief Economist of the CIBC warns that without pension reform now, younger workers today will see a steep decline in living standards

Why Canadian Employers Waste $5 Billion a Year on Inefficient Drug Coverage

 There is certainly a lot of waste in health systems, but one area that seems to have escaped close scrutiny is the waste in private drug plans in Canada.  Estimated at over $5 billion a year, this represents over half of the annual prescription drug bill paid by private insurers

Ontario Spends More than $11 billion a Year on Prescription Drugs

 Why an income-based drug plan would not be good for Ontario’s economy or its seniors Ontario spends $11 billion per year on prescription drugs. Nearly half of this is spent on medicines used by senior citizens, a group that receives public subsidies for nearly all of their prescription drug costs

How a National Drug Plan Can Boost the Canadian Economy

 Canadians pay among the highest costs per capita among OECD countries for prescription drugs, with one Canadian out of 10 unable to fill their prescriptions because of financial reasons. According to the recently released study A Roadmap to a Rational Pharmacare Policy in Canada, commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Nurses

Public Service Week: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

 Twenty-two years ago, then-MP Marlene Catterall introduced a private member’s bill recognizing the third week of June as National Public Service Week, a week to celebrate the work and achievements of the people who make up the Public Service of Canada. The bill was the idea of the Professional Institute

Our Courts’ Regard for Employee Vulnerability

 More than 25 years ago, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the central importance of work to society and to individuals stating, “Work is one of the most fundamental aspects in a person's life, providing the individual with a means of financial support and, as importantly, a contributory role in

To Fix Temporary Foreign Worker Program, Look to Solutions in Canada’s Unionized Meat Industry

 As the National President of Canada’s largest food workers’ union, I am disappointed by the Harper government’s lack of leadership in fixing the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP). Quite simply, the TFWP is broken, and the latest announcement by Minister Kenney – regarding minor adjustments to the number of TFWs

Changing employment contracts without triggering constructive dismissal

 There is no denying the importance of a well-drafted employment contract that clearly establishes the parameters of an employment relationship. Once an employment contract is entered into, an employer’s unilateral changes to those parameters can present legal risks. The concept is called “constructive dismissal” and it applies where the employer

Citizens and Parliament Must be Consulted on Election Rules

 The Harper Government’s Bill C-23, Fair Elections Act is currently before the House of Commons, and it should come as no surprise that the Conservatives are using the bill to manipulate the rules that govern how Canadians vote. After all, the Harper Government has been at odds with Elections Canada

Employment Contracts Should be Carefully Drafted and Periodically Reviewed

 by emond harnden LLP Regardless of whether the terms and conditions applicable to an employee have been spelled out in a formal written contract, every employment relationship is, in fact, governed by an employment contract. It is formed at the point when the employee accepts a job offer and some