Hire Right, Sleep Tight – The Labyrinth of Effective Employee

 When the heart of a nation, Ottawa, drives its pulse through a rich tapestry of businesses, ensuring that the right people power its lifeline becomes paramount. The intricate process of hiring, especially amidst the bustling business environment in the capital of Canada, poses not just a challenge but an art

Looking for a job? Think skills, not credentials

 Over the last several years, the job market in Canada has started to evolve dramatically and leaders in business have begun to think about how to change the way they hire new employees. One key difference is how businesses will assess candidates — based on skills, not credentials. That’s why

6 things to know about the future of work

 We all know the job market in Canada is changing. While some of us are nervously anticipating the future, many businesses are spending a lot of time thinking about what changes it will bring. One of those businesses is RBC, which recently published “Humans Wanted - How Canadian Youth Can

Your Job isn’t killing you, your chair is!

 Most people have worked multiple jobs by the time they’re 25. I, myself, have had my fair share of long hours and small paycheques, from your middle school paper route, to the typical gig as a sales associate or a coffee barista. Even though these jobs were exhausting in their

Where are all the jobs? Tips for new grads

 Finding a job can be frustrating for recent college and university graduates who are confronted with a competitive job market after years of dedicated hard work. Fortunately, these easy-to-follow tips can help young people get a foot in the door. Know your industry. Many new grads make the mistake of looking

Soft skills to rule future jobs

 Over the next decade, the job market is going to change dramatically. Old jobs will disappear because of the rise of automation and new ones will arise from new technologies. This change has already begun in Canada, with experts pointing to the “quiet crisis” currently affecting our young people that

What a $14 Minimum Wage Means for Canadians

 Ontario will soon experience a rise in minimum wage from $11.60 to $14 per hour due to legislation introduced by Premier Kathleen Wynne. Hitting this record high on January 1st, it will rise up to $15 by 2019. The rise in wages per hour at first seems quite beneficial to low income earners and

Mayor and Starbucks Serve Up Jobs For Ottawa Youth

 Photos by Maria Alejandra Starbucks Canada, in partnership with the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa, the City of Ottawa Employment Ontario Centre, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and the provincial government, have announced that they are committing 10 per cent of its store hires to Opportunity Youth.

Opening a Door for Canadian Newcomers

 On Monday, a group of educators and city officials came together to launch the YMCA-YWCA’s first ever Pre-Apprenticeship Home Renovation Program. They were surrounded by wooden work stations half covered in dry wall with colourful signs above them sporting the students’ names, or the names of the business they hope

Poking the Hive

 In this era of elevator pitches, sound bites and speed networking, you might think that everything in life has become instant, optional, superficial and fleeting, including our connections. Everyone seems to be overwhelmed and in transition, so there is no time or need to grow deep roots anymore, right? The

Common Items That Can Cause a False Positive on a Drug Test

 by Vivian R. Smith For most business owners, finding ways to narrow down the prospective employees that they have is important. There are a variety of ways that they can do this, but none are quite as effective as drug test kits.  While these tests can be highly effective, they

Future Energy: It’s Time for Canada to Lead

 Over the past decades, oil became everything for Canada. It was sign of economic stability, new jobs and progress. Today, oil’s low cost is dragging down the country's economy. Environmental concerns are only rising. The new reality seems here to stay. On the bright side, Canada is now on the threshold of

Wage Equality: Lessons from the public sector

 By Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union As a general rule, women get paid less than men do. It doesn’t matter how you measure it. If you go by the average annual pay of all women in Ontario, women make 69 cents for every dollar

Women, Wages & The Workplace

 The year is 2015. Do women still make less money than men? Generally, yes, although the discrepancies are no longer the huge yawning gaps of the 1960s. A recent paper by Richard Shillington of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has analyzed public sector v. private sector wages. Shillington found

Federal Government Moves to Strip Power from Top Public Health Scientist

 Demoting Chief Public Health Officer more about politics than promoting health Buried in the current omnibus budget bill being studied by parliament this week is a plan to demote the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada. He will no longer hold a deputy minister rank, he will have no direct

Eat, Drink and Be Sustainable

 Ecology Ottawa has done it again. For the eighth consecutive year, the local environmental organization completely sold out the annual Eco Gala on Oct. 9. Just over 565 attendees gathered at the St. Elias Banquet Centre to celebrate the bountiful autumn harvest and the city’s active environmental community. It featured

Looking for a Career in the Wine, Craft Beer and Spirits Business?

 Since I began working in the wine industry over 10 years ago, there are two questions I am constantly asked: “I was away on holidays in ‘wherever’ and discovered 'X' wine that isn’t at the LCBO. How can I get it shipped into Ontario?” and “I want to get a job

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

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

Professionals With Disabilities: Accomodating Persons With Disabilities Can Pay Big Dividends

 There has been a great deal of discussion, in recent years, about our aging baby boomer population and how this will impact our economy. As workers retire and leave large gaps in the labour market serious questions are being raised as to who will step up to fill the void.