Government to Review Public Holiday Rules

As part of the OCC’s advocacy surrounding Bill 148, the Fairer Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, the Ontario Chamber Network raised the alarm about unintended consequences of the new calculation for public holiday pay for employees under the Employment Standards Act (ESA). Under the changes introduced as part of Bill 148, employers would be expected to pay part-time employees the full eight hours for each holiday, even if they had only worked occasionally during the month. This meant that part-time employees would be entitled to the same holiday pay as full-time employees. We asked that the government return to the prior calculation to avoid a system that would be unfair to some workers.

ADVOCACY WIN

In May 2018, the Ontario government announced a review of the public holiday system under the Employment Standards Act. The government will reinstate the previous holiday pay calculation, coming into effect July 1.

Concerns of Business Cannot Be Ignored this Election Campaign: The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Ontario’s Business Advocate mobilizes around election priorities in 135 communities across the province

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce are mobilizing this election to bring their recommendations in Vote Prosperity to political leaders and local candidates across the province. Over the course of the campaign, the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce will be boldly pushing the Vote Prosperity message through our ONLINE one on one conversations with Candidates from Cambridge and Kitchener-South Hespeler. 

“The Cambridge Chamber and local chambers and boards of trade across the province have been advocating tirelessly with local candidates and elected officials, highlighting business priorities for this election,” said Greg Durocher, President/CEO“. “During this election campaign, we will continue those efforts, calling on our local candidate’s political party leaders to adopt our economic plan that will help strengthen businesses competitiveness, foster job creation, build healthy communities and improve government accountability.”

Click here to view individual candidate interviews for the Ridings of Cambridge and Kitchener South-Hespeler.
 

Working Toward Mental Wellness -
A Toolkit for Employers

The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce encourages you to use the toolkit from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) that seeks to assist employers in adopting mental health strategies for their workplace. In its new report and toolkit, Working Towards Mental Wellness, the OCC outlines the benefits of a healthy workplace, helps define what a healthy workplace looks like, and lays out steps for businesses to take meaningful action in addressing mental wellness in the workplace.

Mental illnesses cost the Canadian economy an estimated $50 billion annually and on average cost businesses almost $1,500 per employee per year; there is a strong business case for implementing a mental health strategy in the workplace.   

Steering Through Change: A Handbook to Help Ontario Businesses Understand and Manage Bill 148

The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, alongside the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and management-consulting firm, MNP, have released a comprehensive handbook (Steering Through Change) to help Ontario businesses navigate the new costs and regulations associated with Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act. The handbook provides a summary of the incoming changes, outlines the potential risks to business, and identifies strategies to help mitigate the impact.

From substantial increases to the minimum wage, new scheduling provisions, reforms to the collective bargaining process and dozens of other changes, Bill 148 will present many challenges for employers.

The handbook includes important insights into the legislation and offers practical solutions and strategies to support businesses through the initial changes. As the implementation dates draw closer, employers will be able to turn to this handbook to understand the legislation and navigate change.