flexible work hours

Are employees “off-ramping” from your organization?

January 21, 2020 Occasional Contributors Employee Relations, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development, 0

We live in an age of increased workplace stress (not to mention societal stress in the form of newspaper headlines), and burnout has now been recognized in the International Classification of Diseases as an occupational phenomenon.

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Flexibility does not create new terms of employment

December 6, 2019 Rudner Law, Employment / HR Law & Mediation Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Human Rights, Training and Development, 0

Earlier this year, the Ontario Divisional Court upheld a decision which confirmed that an employer’s occasional flexibility with regard to an employee’s hours of work did not displace the employer’s right to enforce the agreed upon hours at a later time.

Attendance policy, duty to accommodate, duty to accommodate family status, employment law, family status, flexible work arrangements, flexible work hours, hours of work

What is the right to disconnect, and does it apply in Canada?

May 1, 2019 Christina Catenacci Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR and Technology, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Training and Development, 0

The right to disconnect refers to employees’ ability to disconnect from work and not engage in work-related communications while they are off-duty.

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Legislating the right to disconnect

September 12, 2018 Lisa Stam, Spring Law Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Wages and Compensation

In France, the right to disconnect was enshrined in law in 2017. French workers in companies of more than 50 people have the right to turn off their work devices outside of working hours. Will Canada follow that path?

Canada labour Code, employee burnout, employment law, flexible schedules, flexible work hours, flexible working conditions, Ontario Bill 148, overtime pay claims, right to disconnect

Workplace flexiblity outside of Silicon Valley

March 5, 2013 Marcia Scheffler Employee Relations, Employment/Labour Standards, HR Policies and Procedures, HRMS, Human Resources, Human Rights, Union Relations

The recently publicized news regarding the ban of telecommuting at Yahoo has ensued in a debate about the benefits of flexible work from home versus the requirement to come into work. However the first thought to cross my mind was that this flexible work arrangement only applies to a very small and privileged sector of employees. For example, working in healthcare, I am very aware of the fact that this debate doesn’t apply to nurses or personal support workers.

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Canada’s top 100 employers for 2013

November 26, 2012 Occasional Contributors Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Payroll, Pensions and Benefits, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development

Just this past month, the acclaimed Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2013 list was released and an editorial was featured in the Globe and Mail. (You can see the full list here) Among the ranks were 3M Canada Co., Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada, Loblaws Cos. Ltd., and Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc. The list is diverse, awarding honours to a mixed bag of firms, from Technip Canada Ltd (124 employees) to Toronto-Dominion Bank (43, 850 employees). While the nature and size vary significantly, one factor remains constant across every organization: employee engagement. Human resource development is at the core of every listed organization’s values, and for good reason; human capital is considered their greatest asset.

Academic scholarship program, boost productivity, Canadas Top 100 Employers, charities, commitment to their employees and their families, employee birthday parties, employee engagement, employees to volunteer and donate, environmental technologies, flexible work hours, human capital, in-house chefs, low-cost perks, Matching donations, On-site daycare, organization’s values, Pensions and Benefits, Perks, post-secondary education, post-secondary institutions, profit sharing program, Promoting health and wellness, provide staff with perks and benefits, recruit and retain top talent, retention, solar energy to a rainwater recovery system, subsidized meals, the best employers, turnover, workplace, workplace culture

The four-day workweek

October 26, 2009 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Employment/Labour Standards, Human Resources

The reality of today’s workplaces is that employees are stressed because they not only face excess work duties, but they work long hours, which keeps them away from their homes, families and leisure for long periods of time. According to many HR and legal experts, the results of overworked employees are distraction and low productivity in the company, forcing employers to demand even more hours from their employees, among other things. Everybody I talk to seems to think that the solution of a four-day workweek should enhance employee effectiveness and productivity, reduce stress, improve employees’ enjoyment of work, and balance their work/life.

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