Federal Minimum Wage
Effective date: December 29, 2021 Employees in federally regulated workplaces will benefit from a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour. Provisions are in place to ensure that where provincial or territorial minimum wages are higher, that wage will prevail. To keep the minimum wage relevant and to make sure it increases with inflation, every April 1 the minimum wage will be adjusted (rounded up to the nearest $0.05) based on Canada’s Consumer Price Index for the preceding calendar year. This will play an important role in reducing inequality, particularly for low-wage workers. UCTE has long supported this decision. We are pleased to see that the minimum wage has been recognized as being too low, and that it will keep pace with inflation over the next few years. We look forward to the implementation of this change at the CLC. To access the Government of Canada page with all the information: CLICK HERE To view the press release: CLICK HERELeave
COVID-19
Effective date: June 19, 2021 Employees can now take the leave related to COVID-19 under Part III (Labour Standards) of the Canada Labour Code for up to 42 weeks in total, when the employee is unable to work due to needing to provide care:- to a child who is under 12 years of age, or
- to a family member who requires supervised care due to specified circumstances related to COVID-19 (for example, if the person’s school or care facility is closed due to COVID-19).
Leave related to the death or disappearance of a child
Effective June 29, 2021 The leave related to death or disappearance of a child under Part III of the Code was amended to ensure that employees in the federally regulated private sector can take advantage of the improved Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime without fear of losing their job. Among other amendments, the leave was amended as follows:- extension to the eligibility for the leave to parents of children under 25 years of age (previously under 18 years of age);
- increase to the maximum length of the leave from 52 to 104 weeks in instances where the employee is a parent to a child that has disappeared;
- increase to the total amount of leave that may be taken by employees in respect to the disappearance of the same child from 52 to 104 weeks;
- modification to the exception that disentitles employees to the leave if the child was a party to the crime that led to their death; and
- extension of the definition of “parent.”
Leave for medical reasons
Implementation: at the same time as changes to EI sickness benefits (not set) Bill C-30 also extends medical leave from 17 weeks to 27 weeks to align with the extension of EI sickness benefits. This would reflect the new maximum duration of 26 weeks and the one-week waiting period.Bereavement Leave
Effective date: September 29, 2021 Employees will have more time off to grieve and plan for practical necessities, such as funeral arrangements and notifying family and friends. Once in force, the amendments will:- extend the maximum length of bereavement leave from five to 10 days; and
- expand eligibility for the leave, making it available to employees who are on compassionate care leave or leave related to critical illness when the family member they are caring for passes away.