A look back at the evolution of HR in Canada as <i>Canadian HR Reporter</i> celebrates its 20th anniversary
A hazy smoke-filled office. The sounds of Whitney Houston crooning her new number-one hit, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All.” A group of office workers huddled around the water cooler, discussing just how badly an extra-marital affair could go wrong after watching Glenn Close and Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction at theatres on the weekend. Another group of workers debating the merits of the paper dollar bill versus the strange new loonie.
That’s what a typical workplace might have looked like the day the first issue of Canadian HR Reporter came out on Sept. 21, 1987. It arrived in a very different working world from the one in which this issue landed.
Employees, for the most part, could still smoke at their desks. If desks were off limits, there was always the lunchroom. There was a lot of concern, confusion and fear over AIDS and how it was spread. There was plenty of hand-wringing over free trade with the United States and what it might mean for Canadian business and computers were just starting to make inroads into the business world. E-mail and the Internet were far-off dreams.
But, from an HR practitioner’s point of view, the late 1980s sounded a lot like today. In the Jan. 11, 1989, issue which took a look ahead at the 1990s, the major challenge for HR for the coming decade was finding enough workers.
“Demographic changes and structural shifts in the economy will force Canadian employers to radically alter recruitment policies and programs through the 1990s,” read the story, which pinned the blame on low birth rates and aging baby boomers.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Canadian HR Reporter, we dug through past issues and over the next few pages you’ll find watershed moments and some offbeat tidbits from the early years. If there’s one thing to be learned from 20 years’ worth of coverage, it’s that HR has never been a dull profession. The issues it faces are sometimes controversial, sometimes entertaining but always extremely important to business. Canadian HR Reporter has been with the profession through the good times and the bad, and made the journey with HR practitioners as the profession evolved from back-office function to strategic partner. The next 20 years look like they’ll be just as much fun.
Sept. 19, 1988
Top HR pay almost $60,000
A 1988 reader survey revealed the average salary reported by the vice-president, director or manager of HR was $59,380. HR professionals in Alberta were the highest paid at $63,833 per year followed by Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario with averages in the $60,000 to $62,000 range.
Oct. 3, 1988
New designation for HR
The Personnel Association of Ontario (PAO) approved, in principle, the creation of a professional designation for HR professionals at a Sept. 27, 1988 meeting. Called the HRP - human resources professional - designation, the PAO hoped it would become a national designation. "Yes, we are setting a precedent… to make it a Canadian designation," said Ross Finlay, executive director of the PAO. "There's nothing that marries a particular designation to a particular province. There's nothing to say that HRP (status) is only related to Ontario."
Nov. 14, 1988
OSTD contemplates name change
The Ontario Society of Training and Development (OSTD), the precursor to the current national Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD), was mulling over a name change in the fall of 1988 to "HR Ontario." A survey of OSTD members found 47 per cent liked the idea of the name change but 34 per cent did not.
Dec. 28, 1988
Top labour issues in 1989
L.V. Pathe, an official with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, outlined the top labour issues expected in 1989 at a Conference Board of Canada conference:
• During this era of change, employers will continue to pursue competitiveness and technological improvements. Unions, in turn, will seek job guarantees.
• Job security issues will include earlier retirement, pension indexing, severance pay, training and retraining, protection against job loss due to contracting out and other factors.
• Pay equity will appear as a bargaining issue, along with daycare and related factors that make the workplace more accessible and attractive to women.
• Unionized workers will want "real wage gains" next year for several reasons, including reports of big payouts to executives and senior managers.
• Toronto unions may be seeking more pay adjustments for workers in this area due to the higher cost of living.
• Unions have become more democratic and are seeking more local autonomy.
• The Bank of Canada is showing "signs of being nervous" about wage pacts exceeding inflation. Negotiated wage increases may come to affect economic policy decisions in Canada.
Dec. 26, 1988
The HR professional of the future - a look ahead at the year 2000
Putting together lists of what the profession might look like in futuristic 2000 was a favourite past-time of Canadian HR Reporter in the late 1980s. Here's a "composite profile" of the senior HR exec of the future:
• University education will open doors, but a business degree won't necessarily do so. Undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, humanities or social sciences will have to become attractive to business.
• Insight into human behaviour and motivation will become more important along with the growing number of better-educated employees and workers from different ethnic backgrounds.
• A generalist background not only in HR but with some experience in line management in functions such as finance, sales or marketing will be sought. "Generalists are becoming more important and useful in terms of understanding the big picture," said the Conference Board of Canada's Prem Benimadhu. "Of course, they will be supported in larger organizations by specialists in compensation, training and so on. But the top job will go to the generalist who knows the business."
• A bottom-line orientation will help propel the HR manager into the senior executive ranks.
• Technological literacy with a good understanding of HRIS, as well as other systems and applications, will be another qualification.
• International experience, while not now a prerequisite for top HR managers, will be in the future, especially in large companies doing business abroad.
Feb. 8, 1989
Computers gain foothold
In 1989, 65 per cent of administrative support staff used computers. That was up significantly from 1985, when only 15 per cent used computers in their work, according to a survey of 125 firms in the Toronto area by Norrell Services Ltd.
April 5, 1989
Pregnant women refuse to work in front of computer monitors
The Saskatchewan division of the Canadian Red Cross Society decided to accommodate pregnant women who chose not to work at video display terminals (VDTs). The society acknowledged pregnant employees had legitimate concerns about whether the monitors affect the health of the fetus. The case involved a woman who was fired after she refused to work at a word processor. The society said a lead apron would be provided upon request to pregnant employees who were willing to work at a VDT.
June 21, 1989
Anti-smoking laws take hold
In the summer of 1989, Ontario became the first province in the country to restrict smoking in the workplace. Bill 194 prohibited smoking in enclosed Ontario workplaces except in smoking areas specifically designated by employers. The designated areas could not exceed 25 per cent of the total space of the workplace.
June 21, 1989
Future trends in group benefits
In 1989, Dorn Smith, manager of group insurance and pensions with the Calgary office of Metropolitan Life Assurance Company, painted a futuristic scene for group benefits. He said, in the next decade, networks of terminals will be installed in pharmacies, hospitals and dentists' offices that allow providers to check details of an insured's employment status, plan coverage and deductibles. But there was concern in the industry that this point-of-sale technology would make it easier for employees to use their coverage, in turn leading to more usage and higher health-care costs for employers.
Sept. 6, 1989
Canada versus the U.S.
A survey of 80 companies by Hay Management Consultants in Canada and the United States shed light on differences between the two neighbours when it came to attitudes in the workplace. The study found Canadians were more positive than Americans in areas of employee relations, departmental co-operation and employee contact with top management. American workers were more stressed and less satisfied with the safety and quality of their work. Canadians were more happy about their pay, despite earning less, but Americans thought their employers offered more chance for job growth and development.
Sept. 6, 1989
The future of Northern Telecom
Northern Telecom, or Nortel as it's better known today, was looking ahead in 1989 to the year 2000 when it hoped to become the leading telecommunications equipment supplier. As part of its "Vision 2000" plan, the company said it realized it needed to change its corporate culture on many different levels. The basic premise behind the program was to show employees a wide variety of successful international companies. By the end of 1989, Nortel had sent 100 employees to see first-hand how leading companies around the world operate.
Sept. 6, 1989
Recruiting overseas high-tech workers
A lack of skilled high-tech and computer processing workers forced some Canadians companies to look overseas to find recruits in 1989. "Ultimately it comes down to a matter of supply and demand," said Jeff Stober, president of Saber Consultants Ltd. "Being that the supply is lower in data processing, some companies are looking at the prospect of sponsoring overseas workers."
Sept. 20, 1989
Four 'hot' issues in HR
Gordon M. Hall, vice-chairman of Mercer, outlined four of the hottest issues in HR in 1989:
• compliance deadlines for provincial pension reform, federal tax reform, pay equity and occupational health and safety;
• cost management of pension funding, private benefits spending pressures, public benefits spending pressures and workers' compensation reform;
• global competition in regards to the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, the impact on executive compensation and the impact of takeovers and mergers; and
• increased employer attention to human resources in the areas of recruitment and retention, training and retraining, two-way communications, flexible benefits and executive pensions.
Oct. 4, 1989
We've come a long way on maternity, parental leave
The Alberta Hospital Association (AHA) was sounding warning bells about providing maternity leave benefits under the Unemployment Insurance Act. Roy Buska, a spokesperson for the AHA, said the changes - which would double maternity leave to 30 weeks - were overly generous. He said the AHA was not opposed to pregnancy, but didn't think society should bear the costs if a couple decides to have a child.
Dec. 6, 1989
The GST debate
The end of the 1980s also saw the end of life without a GST. Canadian HR Reporter featured a look at the tax - which was initially proposed at nine per cent - and what impact it might have on labour relations. Finance Minister Michael Wilson said workers must not try to recoup the tax through bigger wage settlements. Provinces were arguing the tax could cost 400,000 jobs in the first three years, while Ottawa said it would actually create 100,000 new jobs in its first two years. The tax was reduced to seven per cent when it was implemented and recently cut to six per cent by the Stephen Harper government.
Dec. 6, 1989
Fathers taking parental leave
While it's something that's taken for granted now, in 1989 fathers didn't have the right to take parental leave. At the end of the year, Ontario was looking at bringing its laws in line with new federal legislation that would take effect on Jan. 1, 1990, giving fathers the right to take 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave. "Some companies already have leave provisions for fathers, but very few men take advantage of it. It's almost as if it kills their career to take time off to spend with their child," said Wendy Yule, employment and HR planning director for SunLife. "It depends on the culture of the organization, but I think it will be a while before it catches on."
Dec. 6, 1989
Flexible benefits the 'wave of the future'
A study conducted by Hewitt Associates in 1989, looking forward to what the benefits world would look like in futuristic 2000, found more flexible benefit plans, employer-sponsored daycare and employee assistance plans were the wave of the future. The study also predicted a decline in the number of defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans. Instead, it expected to see more contingent employer contributions based on profit-sharing and the expanded use of company stock.
Dec. 20, 1989
HR professionals in short supply
In 1990, HR professionals were in short supply, according to Immigration Canada. It upgraded the status of HR on its "open occupations" list that awarded points to potential immigrants. Personnel managers and organizational and methods analysts were given five points on a 10-point scale. Personnel and industrial management was rated at three points. The higher the value, the scarcer the workers. At the top of the scale were funeral directors, firefighters, social workers and broadcast technicians. The least in-demand positions were ecologists, engineers, economists and interior designers. The list made Canada more attractive for immigrants with HR skills, but experts didn't expect a flood of foreign HR specialists. "I don't see a particular shortage of those people," said Chris Laubitz, a partner with the recruiting firm Caldwell Partners. "I'm not sure why they're on the list." Unsponsored applicants needed a total of 70 points to get landed immigrant status. Besides occupation demand, immigrants could earn points for training, education, experience and language skills.
Feb. 28, 1990
Landmark parental leave ruling
The Federal Court of Appeal upheld a landmark ruling that a father should receive employment insurance benefits for parental leave. Toronto lawyer Shalom Schacter was denied benefits for the three weeks he took off work after the birth of his second son. Under the Unemployment Insurance Act, either parent of an adopted child could collect benefits. But with natural parents, only the mother qualified.
March 14, 1990
The HRPAO and CHRP are born
After more than 54 years, the Personnel Association of Ontario (PAO) decided to change its name. It applied to the province to change its name to the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario. The change coincided with the association's plans to grant a professional designation - Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP). The designation was the first of its kind in Canada. The name change, which required the passing of a private members' bill, was expected to take several months. The PAO had 6,200 members at the time. To earn the new CHRP designation, applicants were required to achieve specified standards of competence, ethics and education in HR. Many of the standards were already embodied in the Certificate in Personnel Management (CPM), a two-year, eight-course program available through Ontario community colleges and universities or through a peer-review process. The PAO expected about 3,000 of its members would qualify as CHRPs.
March 28, 1990
Mounties can wear turbans
In what many considered to be a landmark workplace human rights moment, the federal government decided to allow Mounties to wear turbans on the job. Max Yalden, Canadian Human Rights Commissioner, said it was "marvelous news" that should encourage members of minority groups not to abandon efforts to get the jobs they want.
Dec. 19, 1990
Mandatory retirement alive and well
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that, although mandatory retirement was a discriminatory practice, it was justified because of the need to renew the workforce.
Feb. 26, 1993
Gay rights in the 1990s
The Alberta Human Rights Commission refused to investigate any allegations of discrimination against homosexuals until the province's justice minister commented on whether or not sexual orientation should be a prohibited ground under provincial human rights law. Dianne Mirosh, the province's minister responsible for human rights, said she was against legislation that protects gay rights. Later in 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled gay couples were not entitled to the same family bereavement leave as heterosexual couples. The court said legislation that prohibited discrimination based on family status was not broad enough to encompass same-sex partnerships.
Nov. 19, 1993
Privacy law debut
New legislation in Quebec restricting private-sector employers' access to employees' personal information was expected to set a precedent for other provinces. Quebec's law, which came into effect in January 1994, was the first legislation in Canada to protect private-sector employees' personal information.
Sept. 12, 1994
The birth of CCHRA
After more than two years of formal planning, Canada's first national HR association was formally established. The founding meeting was held on Sept. 16, 1994, in Winnipeg. The council's primary undertaking was to stake out a vital position in organizations to ensure the survival of the profession, according to George Raine, interim president. "HR professionals have been passive in not carving out their own body of knowledge," said Raine. "We want to enhance the value of the HR profession by better defining what HR is all about."
Oct. 10, 1994
McGill pension controversy
Montreal's McGill University came under fire for a controversial gender-based pension plan. The plan instituted "sex distinct" rates by which to measure members' monthly pension payments. The rates were based on the premise that, according to Statistics Canada data, women typically live 7.4 years longer than men. Women would have paid the same amount into the plan, but would have received a lower monthly amount upon retiring to compensate for the fact they were expected to live longer.
March 27, 1995
Saskatchewan legislates benefits for part-timers
Saskatchewan became the first province in Canada to legislate pro-rated benefits for part-time workers. Employees who worked between 15 and 30 hours a week, and whose employer had a benefits package for full-timers, were entitled to full life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage and 50 per cent medical and dental coverage.
June 5, 1995
Quebec mandates training
Quebec dropped the carrot and picked up the stick when it came to encouraging employers to train workers. It ditched a refundable worker training tax credit and replaced it with a requirement to spend one per cent of payroll on training and manpower adjustment starting on Jan. 1, 1996.
May 18, 1998
Pension benefits for gays
One of the final barriers to equal rights in the workplace for gays and lesbians came when the Ontario Court of Appeal said the federal Income Tax Act's definition of spouse was unconstitutional. While numerous court decisions across the country had been requiring employers to provide equal benefits to gay and lesbian employees, federal income tax rules served as a stumbling block to equal pension benefits. Pension plans that offer benefits to same-sex partners could not be registered under the ITA and only registered plans allow for tax deductibility of contributions and other tax advantages.
That’s what a typical workplace might have looked like the day the first issue of Canadian HR Reporter came out on Sept. 21, 1987. It arrived in a very different working world from the one in which this issue landed.
Employees, for the most part, could still smoke at their desks. If desks were off limits, there was always the lunchroom. There was a lot of concern, confusion and fear over AIDS and how it was spread. There was plenty of hand-wringing over free trade with the United States and what it might mean for Canadian business and computers were just starting to make inroads into the business world. E-mail and the Internet were far-off dreams.
But, from an HR practitioner’s point of view, the late 1980s sounded a lot like today. In the Jan. 11, 1989, issue which took a look ahead at the 1990s, the major challenge for HR for the coming decade was finding enough workers.
“Demographic changes and structural shifts in the economy will force Canadian employers to radically alter recruitment policies and programs through the 1990s,” read the story, which pinned the blame on low birth rates and aging baby boomers.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Canadian HR Reporter, we dug through past issues and over the next few pages you’ll find watershed moments and some offbeat tidbits from the early years. If there’s one thing to be learned from 20 years’ worth of coverage, it’s that HR has never been a dull profession. The issues it faces are sometimes controversial, sometimes entertaining but always extremely important to business. Canadian HR Reporter has been with the profession through the good times and the bad, and made the journey with HR practitioners as the profession evolved from back-office function to strategic partner. The next 20 years look like they’ll be just as much fun.
 1987-1991 |
 1991 |
 1991-1994 |
 1994-2003 |
 1987-1991 |
Sept. 19, 1988Top HR pay almost $60,000
A 1988 reader survey revealed the average salary reported by the vice-president, director or manager of HR was $59,380. HR professionals in Alberta were the highest paid at $63,833 per year followed by Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario with averages in the $60,000 to $62,000 range.
Oct. 3, 1988New designation for HR
The Personnel Association of Ontario (PAO) approved, in principle, the creation of a professional designation for HR professionals at a Sept. 27, 1988 meeting. Called the HRP - human resources professional - designation, the PAO hoped it would become a national designation. "Yes, we are setting a precedent… to make it a Canadian designation," said Ross Finlay, executive director of the PAO. "There's nothing that marries a particular designation to a particular province. There's nothing to say that HRP (status) is only related to Ontario."
Nov. 14, 1988
OSTD contemplates name change
The Ontario Society of Training and Development (OSTD), the precursor to the current national Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD), was mulling over a name change in the fall of 1988 to "HR Ontario." A survey of OSTD members found 47 per cent liked the idea of the name change but 34 per cent did not.
Dec. 28, 1988Top labour issues in 1989
L.V. Pathe, an official with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, outlined the top labour issues expected in 1989 at a Conference Board of Canada conference:
• During this era of change, employers will continue to pursue competitiveness and technological improvements. Unions, in turn, will seek job guarantees.
• Job security issues will include earlier retirement, pension indexing, severance pay, training and retraining, protection against job loss due to contracting out and other factors.
• Pay equity will appear as a bargaining issue, along with daycare and related factors that make the workplace more accessible and attractive to women.
• Unionized workers will want "real wage gains" next year for several reasons, including reports of big payouts to executives and senior managers.
• Toronto unions may be seeking more pay adjustments for workers in this area due to the higher cost of living.
• Unions have become more democratic and are seeking more local autonomy.
• The Bank of Canada is showing "signs of being nervous" about wage pacts exceeding inflation. Negotiated wage increases may come to affect economic policy decisions in Canada.
Dec. 26, 1988The HR professional of the future - a look ahead at the year 2000
Putting together lists of what the profession might look like in futuristic 2000 was a favourite past-time of Canadian HR Reporter in the late 1980s. Here's a "composite profile" of the senior HR exec of the future:
• University education will open doors, but a business degree won't necessarily do so. Undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, humanities or social sciences will have to become attractive to business.
• Insight into human behaviour and motivation will become more important along with the growing number of better-educated employees and workers from different ethnic backgrounds.
• A generalist background not only in HR but with some experience in line management in functions such as finance, sales or marketing will be sought. "Generalists are becoming more important and useful in terms of understanding the big picture," said the Conference Board of Canada's Prem Benimadhu. "Of course, they will be supported in larger organizations by specialists in compensation, training and so on. But the top job will go to the generalist who knows the business."
• A bottom-line orientation will help propel the HR manager into the senior executive ranks.
• Technological literacy with a good understanding of HRIS, as well as other systems and applications, will be another qualification.
• International experience, while not now a prerequisite for top HR managers, will be in the future, especially in large companies doing business abroad.
Feb. 8, 1989Computers gain foothold
In 1989, 65 per cent of administrative support staff used computers. That was up significantly from 1985, when only 15 per cent used computers in their work, according to a survey of 125 firms in the Toronto area by Norrell Services Ltd.
April 5, 1989Pregnant women refuse to work in front of computer monitors
The Saskatchewan division of the Canadian Red Cross Society decided to accommodate pregnant women who chose not to work at video display terminals (VDTs). The society acknowledged pregnant employees had legitimate concerns about whether the monitors affect the health of the fetus. The case involved a woman who was fired after she refused to work at a word processor. The society said a lead apron would be provided upon request to pregnant employees who were willing to work at a VDT.
June 21, 1989Anti-smoking laws take hold
In the summer of 1989, Ontario became the first province in the country to restrict smoking in the workplace. Bill 194 prohibited smoking in enclosed Ontario workplaces except in smoking areas specifically designated by employers. The designated areas could not exceed 25 per cent of the total space of the workplace.
June 21, 1989Future trends in group benefits
In 1989, Dorn Smith, manager of group insurance and pensions with the Calgary office of Metropolitan Life Assurance Company, painted a futuristic scene for group benefits. He said, in the next decade, networks of terminals will be installed in pharmacies, hospitals and dentists' offices that allow providers to check details of an insured's employment status, plan coverage and deductibles. But there was concern in the industry that this point-of-sale technology would make it easier for employees to use their coverage, in turn leading to more usage and higher health-care costs for employers.
Sept. 6, 1989Canada versus the U.S.
A survey of 80 companies by Hay Management Consultants in Canada and the United States shed light on differences between the two neighbours when it came to attitudes in the workplace. The study found Canadians were more positive than Americans in areas of employee relations, departmental co-operation and employee contact with top management. American workers were more stressed and less satisfied with the safety and quality of their work. Canadians were more happy about their pay, despite earning less, but Americans thought their employers offered more chance for job growth and development.
Sept. 6, 1989The future of Northern Telecom
Northern Telecom, or Nortel as it's better known today, was looking ahead in 1989 to the year 2000 when it hoped to become the leading telecommunications equipment supplier. As part of its "Vision 2000" plan, the company said it realized it needed to change its corporate culture on many different levels. The basic premise behind the program was to show employees a wide variety of successful international companies. By the end of 1989, Nortel had sent 100 employees to see first-hand how leading companies around the world operate.
Sept. 6, 1989Recruiting overseas high-tech workers
A lack of skilled high-tech and computer processing workers forced some Canadians companies to look overseas to find recruits in 1989. "Ultimately it comes down to a matter of supply and demand," said Jeff Stober, president of Saber Consultants Ltd. "Being that the supply is lower in data processing, some companies are looking at the prospect of sponsoring overseas workers."
Sept. 20, 1989
Four 'hot' issues in HR
Gordon M. Hall, vice-chairman of Mercer, outlined four of the hottest issues in HR in 1989:
• compliance deadlines for provincial pension reform, federal tax reform, pay equity and occupational health and safety;
• cost management of pension funding, private benefits spending pressures, public benefits spending pressures and workers' compensation reform;
• global competition in regards to the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, the impact on executive compensation and the impact of takeovers and mergers; and
• increased employer attention to human resources in the areas of recruitment and retention, training and retraining, two-way communications, flexible benefits and executive pensions.
Oct. 4, 1989We've come a long way on maternity, parental leave
The Alberta Hospital Association (AHA) was sounding warning bells about providing maternity leave benefits under the Unemployment Insurance Act. Roy Buska, a spokesperson for the AHA, said the changes - which would double maternity leave to 30 weeks - were overly generous. He said the AHA was not opposed to pregnancy, but didn't think society should bear the costs if a couple decides to have a child.
Dec. 6, 1989
The GST debate
The end of the 1980s also saw the end of life without a GST. Canadian HR Reporter featured a look at the tax - which was initially proposed at nine per cent - and what impact it might have on labour relations. Finance Minister Michael Wilson said workers must not try to recoup the tax through bigger wage settlements. Provinces were arguing the tax could cost 400,000 jobs in the first three years, while Ottawa said it would actually create 100,000 new jobs in its first two years. The tax was reduced to seven per cent when it was implemented and recently cut to six per cent by the Stephen Harper government.
Dec. 6, 1989Fathers taking parental leave
While it's something that's taken for granted now, in 1989 fathers didn't have the right to take parental leave. At the end of the year, Ontario was looking at bringing its laws in line with new federal legislation that would take effect on Jan. 1, 1990, giving fathers the right to take 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave. "Some companies already have leave provisions for fathers, but very few men take advantage of it. It's almost as if it kills their career to take time off to spend with their child," said Wendy Yule, employment and HR planning director for SunLife. "It depends on the culture of the organization, but I think it will be a while before it catches on."
Dec. 6, 1989
Flexible benefits the 'wave of the future'
A study conducted by Hewitt Associates in 1989, looking forward to what the benefits world would look like in futuristic 2000, found more flexible benefit plans, employer-sponsored daycare and employee assistance plans were the wave of the future. The study also predicted a decline in the number of defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans. Instead, it expected to see more contingent employer contributions based on profit-sharing and the expanded use of company stock.
Dec. 20, 1989
HR professionals in short supply
In 1990, HR professionals were in short supply, according to Immigration Canada. It upgraded the status of HR on its "open occupations" list that awarded points to potential immigrants. Personnel managers and organizational and methods analysts were given five points on a 10-point scale. Personnel and industrial management was rated at three points. The higher the value, the scarcer the workers. At the top of the scale were funeral directors, firefighters, social workers and broadcast technicians. The least in-demand positions were ecologists, engineers, economists and interior designers. The list made Canada more attractive for immigrants with HR skills, but experts didn't expect a flood of foreign HR specialists. "I don't see a particular shortage of those people," said Chris Laubitz, a partner with the recruiting firm Caldwell Partners. "I'm not sure why they're on the list." Unsponsored applicants needed a total of 70 points to get landed immigrant status. Besides occupation demand, immigrants could earn points for training, education, experience and language skills.
Feb. 28, 1990
Landmark parental leave ruling
The Federal Court of Appeal upheld a landmark ruling that a father should receive employment insurance benefits for parental leave. Toronto lawyer Shalom Schacter was denied benefits for the three weeks he took off work after the birth of his second son. Under the Unemployment Insurance Act, either parent of an adopted child could collect benefits. But with natural parents, only the mother qualified.
March 14, 1990The HRPAO and CHRP are born
After more than 54 years, the Personnel Association of Ontario (PAO) decided to change its name. It applied to the province to change its name to the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario. The change coincided with the association's plans to grant a professional designation - Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP). The designation was the first of its kind in Canada. The name change, which required the passing of a private members' bill, was expected to take several months. The PAO had 6,200 members at the time. To earn the new CHRP designation, applicants were required to achieve specified standards of competence, ethics and education in HR. Many of the standards were already embodied in the Certificate in Personnel Management (CPM), a two-year, eight-course program available through Ontario community colleges and universities or through a peer-review process. The PAO expected about 3,000 of its members would qualify as CHRPs.
March 28, 1990Mounties can wear turbans
In what many considered to be a landmark workplace human rights moment, the federal government decided to allow Mounties to wear turbans on the job. Max Yalden, Canadian Human Rights Commissioner, said it was "marvelous news" that should encourage members of minority groups not to abandon efforts to get the jobs they want.
Dec. 19, 1990
Mandatory retirement alive and well
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that, although mandatory retirement was a discriminatory practice, it was justified because of the need to renew the workforce.
Feb. 26, 1993Gay rights in the 1990s
The Alberta Human Rights Commission refused to investigate any allegations of discrimination against homosexuals until the province's justice minister commented on whether or not sexual orientation should be a prohibited ground under provincial human rights law. Dianne Mirosh, the province's minister responsible for human rights, said she was against legislation that protects gay rights. Later in 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled gay couples were not entitled to the same family bereavement leave as heterosexual couples. The court said legislation that prohibited discrimination based on family status was not broad enough to encompass same-sex partnerships.
Nov. 19, 1993Privacy law debut
New legislation in Quebec restricting private-sector employers' access to employees' personal information was expected to set a precedent for other provinces. Quebec's law, which came into effect in January 1994, was the first legislation in Canada to protect private-sector employees' personal information.
Sept. 12, 1994The birth of CCHRA
After more than two years of formal planning, Canada's first national HR association was formally established. The founding meeting was held on Sept. 16, 1994, in Winnipeg. The council's primary undertaking was to stake out a vital position in organizations to ensure the survival of the profession, according to George Raine, interim president. "HR professionals have been passive in not carving out their own body of knowledge," said Raine. "We want to enhance the value of the HR profession by better defining what HR is all about."
Oct. 10, 1994McGill pension controversy
Montreal's McGill University came under fire for a controversial gender-based pension plan. The plan instituted "sex distinct" rates by which to measure members' monthly pension payments. The rates were based on the premise that, according to Statistics Canada data, women typically live 7.4 years longer than men. Women would have paid the same amount into the plan, but would have received a lower monthly amount upon retiring to compensate for the fact they were expected to live longer.
March 27, 1995Saskatchewan legislates benefits for part-timers
Saskatchewan became the first province in Canada to legislate pro-rated benefits for part-time workers. Employees who worked between 15 and 30 hours a week, and whose employer had a benefits package for full-timers, were entitled to full life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage and 50 per cent medical and dental coverage.
June 5, 1995Quebec mandates training
Quebec dropped the carrot and picked up the stick when it came to encouraging employers to train workers. It ditched a refundable worker training tax credit and replaced it with a requirement to spend one per cent of payroll on training and manpower adjustment starting on Jan. 1, 1996.
May 18, 1998
Pension benefits for gays
One of the final barriers to equal rights in the workplace for gays and lesbians came when the Ontario Court of Appeal said the federal Income Tax Act's definition of spouse was unconstitutional. While numerous court decisions across the country had been requiring employers to provide equal benefits to gay and lesbian employees, federal income tax rules served as a stumbling block to equal pension benefits. Pension plans that offer benefits to same-sex partners could not be registered under the ITA and only registered plans allow for tax deductibility of contributions and other tax advantages.
