Private Communications Noticeboard For ABL Client Companies
Check back here for private or sensitive communications from ABL to our Client Companies.
Posted 07/08/2022:
Ontario Bill 27: “Right To Disconnect From Work”
ABL’s Occupational Wellness Manager, Carla Villalta, has written a summary of how companies can go about preparing a written policy in regards to “the right to disconnect from work”, which is one of key amendments to the Employment Standards Ac in Bill 27. In this summary, Carla provides reassuring facts and advice for companies who may still be wondering if they have everything in place to meet these new requirements.
DOWNLOAD THE ARTICLE/SUMMARY HERE
“The Schedule amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000 [ESA]. New Part VII.0.1 of the Act imposes a requirement on employers that employ 25 or more employees to have a written policy with respect to disconnecting from work. The term “disconnecting from work” is defined to mean not engaging in work-related communications, including emails, phone calls, texts…” https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-2/bill-27
Posted 08/04/2021:
CRB (Canadian Recovery Benefit) program extended through to 10/23/2021:
Strange Times Continue In The World of Hiring and Recruitment:
Hiring managers and recruitment services alike find themselves in the unprecedented position of simultaneously
- having the job openings available as the economy opens up and more businesses are able to ramp up, and
- having a good supply of applicants who are interested in the positions and applying to job postings, but also
- having the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) program extended** by the federal government makes it possible for people who have caregiving responsibilities or safety concerns about re-entering the workplace because of the new (much more virulent) Delta variant of Covid-19 the option to remain out of the workplace for a while longer. This is particularly the case for those with small children who may still be in and out of school if they are asked to self-isolate because of a close contact in school, or people with vulnerable immune systems (or those caring for them). The positions most affected by the CRB program, are those in the entry-level pay range, which directly affects positions like packaging, labelling, assembly, sorting, or order selecting in a manufacturing or logistics facility, which typically ramp up in the last quarter of the year.
What does this mean for the Fall busy time in Logistics and Manufacturing sectors?
We’re all going to have a difficult time activating people for work who are still eligible for CRB program for a little while longer: that program has been extended until the 23rd of October, 2021.
It’s going to be more critical than ever to work together closely to reiterate the benefits of a position to the candidate, such as paid training, opportunity for being hired on, perks and benefits like free parking, shift premiums, overtime opportunity, ability to be trained or certified on specific equipment, or performance or attendance bonus plans.
We’ll want to work together to remove as many barriers as possible to someone being selected as a candidate for a position: is the shift time negotiable? Is there an option to train someone who has transferable skills for the job, instead of requiring specific previous experience? Are there other areas or positions someone could be transferred to instead of cancelling the assignment for them if they are not the best fit in a particular job description? (Provided the attendance and work ethic is there, of course).
Let’s resolve to stay in touch more than ever, so we can communicate clearly with one another when we start to see shifts in the market, or behavioural changes in the available workforce. Let’s work together to create flexible, scalable compensation packages or perks that can help us retain the candidates who are putting themselves out there for work.
We’ll get through this together, as we always have.
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** Extending the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) until October 23, 2021.
** Increasing the maximum number of weeks available for the CRB, by an additional 4 weeks, to a total of 54 weeks, at a rate of $300 per week. ( read more here ) .