Updates from Consult Carswell
P.E.I.’s employment standards to change
On Oct. 1, significant changes to Prince Edward Island’s employment standards will come into force. Highlights include: one additional week of paid vacation after eight years of employment; one day of paid bereavement leave; one day of paid sick leave after 10 years of employment; director’s liability; banking of overtime hours; and enhanced access or benefits for maternity, parental or adoptive leave.
Easier access to testing of bodily substances
In Saskatchewan, amendments to the regulations under the Mandatory Testing and Disclosure (Bodily Substances) Act make it easier for emergency personnel to obtain testing of potentially dangerous bodily substances they are exposed to. Emergency workers are no longer required to prove the exposure occurred while providing emergency care but only while providing professional services. However, the employee will still require a doctor’s report and a court order.
Communicating in different languages
In some circumstances, it may be a best practice to communicate with employees in a language other than English or French. This can also be a legal requirement or a matter of life and death where occupational health and safety is concerned. For example, section 25(2) of Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act states a copy of the act and any explanatory material prepared by the Ministry of Labour outlining the rights, responsibilities and duties of workers must be provided to workers in English and the “majority language of the workplace.”
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