In this edition:
- Ontario introduces fourth iteration of Working for Workers Act
- Food insecurity increased in 2022: Statistics Canada
- Corporate shakeup for major Niagara wine company
- Town of Lincoln wins prestigious award for water loss reduction program
- Helping employees and employers ‘level up’: Niagara workforce coalition launched
- Climate change concerns are disrupting Canadians’ consumption habits, finds EY
- Government of Canada offers free webinar series on Mental Health in the Workplace
- Focus on Finance & Economy
Ontario introduces fourth iteration of Working for Workers Act
The Ontario government is introducing new legislation to continue leading the country in ground-breaking protections for workers. These proposed changes expand on the historic measures in the Working for Workers Acts, 2021, 2022 and 2023, which are helping millions of people in Ontario earn bigger paycheques and supporting newcomers in building the province.
The Act, if passed, would:
- require employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings and if artificial intelligence (AI) is used during the hiring process.
- enable “super indexing” increases to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) benefits above the annual rate of inflation.
- ban the use of Canadian work experience as a requirement in job postings or application forms.
- strengthen wage protections for restaurant and hospitality workers by banning unpaid trial shifts, making clear employers can never deduct an employee’s wages in the event of a dine and dash, gas and dash, or any other stolen property, and protect against tip theft.
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Food insecurity increased in 2022: Statistics Canada
According to data from the Canadian Income Survey released today, the proportion of families who were food insecure in the 12 months preceding the survey increased from 16% in 2021 to 18% in 2022. Among those at highest risk of food insecurity were single mothers, Indigenous families, and Black families.
Income alone cannot explain food insecurity, the data agency said. Rather, food insecurity stems from the interplay of various factors, including the stability of income, assets and debt, access to family and social supports, and the cost of living.
Overall, 11% of families had incomes below the poverty line. While these families were most vulnerable to food insecurity, with rates being nearly twice as high as the overall average (35% versus 18%), most families experiencing food insecurity had incomes above the poverty line. In all, about 8 in 10 families that faced food insecurity were above the poverty line.
Corporate shakeup for major Niagara wine company
The head of a major Canadian wine company with properties across Niagara is stepping down.
John Peller, CEO of Andrew Peller Limited, announced he will be retiring within the next year. With that change, four of the company’s directors – Perry Miele, Shauneen Bruder, Francois Vimard and David Mongeau, are all stepping down from their posts effective immediately. The changes were made public in an earnings report made by the company late last week.
In the announcement, Peller offered his thanks to the four retiring directors.
Town of Lincoln wins prestigious award for water loss reduction program
The Town of Lincoln is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded the 2023 Awards of Excellence by the Ontario Water Works Association (OWWA) for its Water Loss Reduction Program. The award was presented at the Town of Lincoln Council Meeting on November 13, 2023.
The program was recognized in the Public Sector & Utilities Project category by the Water and Energy Efficiency Committee.
Helping employees and employers ‘level up’: Niagara workforce coalition launched
The map was a lot to take in at first, with lines criss-crossing all over the place.
But ultimately what it shows is just how connected Niagara’s businesses and those in the employment services sector are. A new coalition is hoping to take advantage of those existing connections, fill gaps and help Niagara’s labour market succeed.
“We’ll look at the system map and see where there are gaps, or where there are connections we weren’t aware of,” said Rachel Crane, learning and engagement lead at Workforce Collective, the organization leading the charge to create the coalition.
Climate change concerns are disrupting Canadians’ consumption habits, finds EY
The EY Future Consumer Index Survey reveals deepening concerns around inflation (96%) and climate change (84%) are pushing Canadians to change how they live and what they buy.
“Over the last few years, there has been a gap between intention and action for both companies and consumers in their efforts to address sustainability, but the real effects of environmental change on people’s lives is narrowing that gap and sparking a new wave of change,” says Monica Chadha, EY Canada Retail Leader. “As we head into the holiday season and beyond, we’ll see more shoppers take control and do their research to optimize for both economic and environmental benefits.”
For the more than half of consumers who indicate they’re planning to buy less, 38 per cent say this due to an effort to help the environment. Fashion accessories (60%) topped the list of product categories consumers plan to spend less on followed by toys and gadgets (52%) and clothing, footwear, beauty and cosmetics (48%).
Government of Canada offers free webinar series on Mental Health in the Workplace
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) will be presenting a free, four-part webinar series to help employers implement mental health programs in their workplace.
These Beyond the Assessment webinars will explore practical ways to develop workplace mental health and safety programs, address risks, hold meaningful conversations, and consider the intersectionality of mental health and inclusion, diversity, and equity.
Part one of the series, Healthy Workplaces, will stream live on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Did you know?
Cryptocurrency consumes more energy than the country of Norway.
Focus on Finance & Economy
Canada likely to greenlight Glencore-Teck deal despite greater scrutiny of foreign investments
These provinces have felt the most pain from Bank of Canada rate hikes
Looking back at the year the Bank of Canada started hiking interest rates, things looked pretty good.
Canada’s real gross domestic product grew 3.8 per cent in 2022, with GDP rising in nine provinces. Saskatchewan led the pack with 6 per cent growth, followed by Alberta, at 5 per cent, according to provincial numbers released last week by Statistics Canada.
But while growth looked good on the surface, Marc Desormeaux, principal economist at Desjardins, spots several “troubling details” in the data that showed the early impacts of the most aggressive interest-rate hiking cycle in recent history.
In an effort to curb soaring inflation after the pandemic, the Bank of Canada raised its policy interest rate from 0.25 to 4.25 per cent in 2022. Three more rate hikes in 2023 brought the rate to the current 5 per cent.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
