Union negotiates child swap; Ontario increases WCB benefits; Voluntary layoffs can backfire; China helps recent grads find jobs;U.S. manufacturing takes a hit
Union negotiates child swap
Tilbury, Ont. — Parents working opposite shifts at auto parts manufacturer Autoliv Canada now have a way to avoid child-care headaches. The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union negotiated a deal with the employer to allow a parent to punch out five minutes early to meet her partner in the parking lot so their children are never left alone. “This negates child-care problems because the children are in the car with the parent who is coming to work,” said Paula Carson, CAW plant chairperson at Autoliv.
Ontario increases WCB benefits
Voluntary layoffs can backfire
Guelph, Ont. — Organizations that offer voluntary layoffs are just as likely to lose the best employees as they are to lose poor performers, according to a new study out of the University of Guelph. Researchers studied three companies and 978 employees and found organizations have only about a 50-per-cent chance of ridding themselves of employees they don’t want when they entice employees to quit. “Star” employees, who are highly educated and better-performing, are more likely to leave in a voluntary situation because they tend to be more confident they can find other work, according to the study. This can leave an organization with a much weaker workforce after the layoffs.
China helps recent grads find jobs
Beijing — China has announced measures to help more than five million recent college graduates find work, including offering subsidies to those who work in rural areas. Urban jobseekers already outnumber vacant positions by two to one, according to Chinese officials, and the situation is only expected to worsen. Other measures include giving graduates who join the military or take jobs in remote areas financial assistance to repay student loans and offering incentives to companies that hire recent graduates.
U.S. manufacturing takes a hit
