First Reference Talks

Discussions on Human Resources, Employment Law and Payroll

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FAQ: Do employees in Ontario who take maternity and parental leave for the one year accrue their regular vacation as per their employment contract?

Recently we received a question of whether employees in Ontario who take maternity and parental leave for the one year accrue their regular vacation as per their employment contract. If that were so, the inquirer wanted to know whether it was normal practice to allow those employees to take the accrued vacation right after their leave has ended (i.e., extending their time off).

By | 2 Minutes Read

Unlimited vacation: flashy gimmick or prudent policy?

Sir Richard Branson recently announced a change to Virgin’s vacation policy. According to virgin.com the policy:

permits all salaried staff to take off whenever they want for as long as they want. There is no need to ask for prior approval and neither the employees themselves nor their managers are asked or expected to keep track of their days away from the office.

Branson decided to implement the policy after learning that Netflix had experienced a marked increase in morale, creativity and productivity from a similar model. Unlimited vacation policies, it has been argued, better reflect the shifting nature of work in our lives. For many employees the 9-5 workday is a relic of a by-gone era. Email and smartphones now stretch the work day, removing it from the confines of an office.

The concept of unlimited vacation is not unique to Netflix and Virgin. Other employers that have adopted … Continue reading “Unlimited vacation: flashy gimmick or prudent policy?”

By | 4 Minutes Read

Do you need a vacation from dealing with vacations?

Creating a vacation policy can be a daunting task and much more complicated than it may seem on the surface. While all jurisdictions have minimum standards with respect to vacation entitlement and vacation pay, many details regarding vacation administration is left to the employer. A vacation policy will ensure management and employees alike understand the details of vacation entitlement and its administration.

About us

Established in 1995, First Reference Inc. (known as La Référence in Quebec) provides Canadian organizations of any size with practical and authoritative resources to help ensure compliance.

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