Quebec to scale back mandated training • Workplace smoking bans have half kicking habit • Attracting professionals for remote areas • What others are offering Canadian nurses • Oil producers draft HR plan • More Health and safety officers • Immigrant salaries going down • The cost of work-life stress
Quebec to scale back mandated training
Quebec City — Quebec’s new Liberal government is proposing to roll back the one-per-cent training levy for small businesses by exempting organizations with less than $1 million in annual payroll. The Act to Foster the Development of Manpower Training, in effect since 1996, requires firms with payrolls of $250,000 or more to invest one per cent of payroll in employee training. Firms that fail to invest must pay into a training and development fund. If the proposed changes are adopted, they will be in effect before the new year. The proposal would exempt about 24,000 businesses or more than two-thirds of organizations now under the law.
Workplace smoking bans have half kicking habit
Winnipeg — One out of two smokers will eventually quit when forced to comply with workplace smoking bans, research suggests. The findings were presented at an international conference on smoking held in Winnipeg. Scientists from the University of Missouri tracked 1,500 people in workplaces where smoking was banned to find 51 per cent quit permanently.
Attracting professionals for remote areas
Edmonton — A development report prepared for the Alberta government proposes bursaries to recruit health professionals and teachers to work in rural areas. In return for having a portion of their university education covered, graduating professionals would agree to work in rural Alberta for a set term.
What others are offering Canadian nurses
Saskatoon — Furnished rent-free apartments, $5,000 signing bonuses, moving expenses and sunny beaches. That was the pitch from recruiters from California and North Carolina at a Saskatoon nursing career fair. More than 600 health-care workers and students attended. Saskatchewan had an estimated 565 nursing jobs vacant in 2002.
Oil producers draft HR plan
Calgary — The Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada has released a seven-point human capital strategy that includes a national approach to workforce management, HR best practices and promoting careers in the sector. For details visit www.petrohrsc.ca.
More Health and safety officers
Regina — Saskatchewan will hire six new occupational health officers to join a new effort to reduce workplace injuries and illness. The province is seeking to strengthen enforcement of health and safety standards and improve safety awareness among employers and employees.
Immigrant salaries going down
Ottawa — Despite a “massive increase” in educational levels, recent immigrant men saw their earnings drop by seven per cent on average between 1980 and 2000, while earnings for Canadian-born men went up seven per cent, according to Statistics Canada. In 1980, recent immigrant male workers were making $40,600 and just 22 per cent had a university degree. By 2000, the average wage was $37,900 though 44 per cent had a degree. Earnings for immigrant women improved, but not as quickly as wages for Canadian-born women.
The cost of work-life stress
Ottawa — Work-life stress is costing the Canadian economy $10 billion a year, according to a study completed for Health Canada. Sixty per cent of working Canadians struggle to balance work and life demands. The result is increased sick days which directly cost employers as much as $5 billion a year in salaries. When indirect costs are factored in, for things like overtime, reduced productivity and client dissatisfaction, the total soars to almost $10 billion.
Quebec City — Quebec’s new Liberal government is proposing to roll back the one-per-cent training levy for small businesses by exempting organizations with less than $1 million in annual payroll. The Act to Foster the Development of Manpower Training, in effect since 1996, requires firms with payrolls of $250,000 or more to invest one per cent of payroll in employee training. Firms that fail to invest must pay into a training and development fund. If the proposed changes are adopted, they will be in effect before the new year. The proposal would exempt about 24,000 businesses or more than two-thirds of organizations now under the law.
Workplace smoking bans have half kicking habit
Winnipeg — One out of two smokers will eventually quit when forced to comply with workplace smoking bans, research suggests. The findings were presented at an international conference on smoking held in Winnipeg. Scientists from the University of Missouri tracked 1,500 people in workplaces where smoking was banned to find 51 per cent quit permanently.
Attracting professionals for remote areas
Edmonton — A development report prepared for the Alberta government proposes bursaries to recruit health professionals and teachers to work in rural areas. In return for having a portion of their university education covered, graduating professionals would agree to work in rural Alberta for a set term.
What others are offering Canadian nurses
Saskatoon — Furnished rent-free apartments, $5,000 signing bonuses, moving expenses and sunny beaches. That was the pitch from recruiters from California and North Carolina at a Saskatoon nursing career fair. More than 600 health-care workers and students attended. Saskatchewan had an estimated 565 nursing jobs vacant in 2002.
Oil producers draft HR plan
Calgary — The Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada has released a seven-point human capital strategy that includes a national approach to workforce management, HR best practices and promoting careers in the sector. For details visit www.petrohrsc.ca.
More Health and safety officers
Regina — Saskatchewan will hire six new occupational health officers to join a new effort to reduce workplace injuries and illness. The province is seeking to strengthen enforcement of health and safety standards and improve safety awareness among employers and employees.
Immigrant salaries going down
Ottawa — Despite a “massive increase” in educational levels, recent immigrant men saw their earnings drop by seven per cent on average between 1980 and 2000, while earnings for Canadian-born men went up seven per cent, according to Statistics Canada. In 1980, recent immigrant male workers were making $40,600 and just 22 per cent had a university degree. By 2000, the average wage was $37,900 though 44 per cent had a degree. Earnings for immigrant women improved, but not as quickly as wages for Canadian-born women.
The cost of work-life stress
Ottawa — Work-life stress is costing the Canadian economy $10 billion a year, according to a study completed for Health Canada. Sixty per cent of working Canadians struggle to balance work and life demands. The result is increased sick days which directly cost employers as much as $5 billion a year in salaries. When indirect costs are factored in, for things like overtime, reduced productivity and client dissatisfaction, the total soars to almost $10 billion.
