October 27, 2008

October 27, 2008

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The Right to Strike in Nova Scotia Healthcare

According to the authors of a study released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in Nova Scotia removing the right to strike and replacing it with compulsory arbitration will only worsen current problems in provincial health human resources. The study titled, Is Compulsory Arbitration a Good Substitute for the Right to Strike in Health Care? The Persistence of Recruitment and Retention Problems, by Judy Haiven and Larry Haiven, is part three of the series,The Right to Strike in Nova Scotia Health Care: Issues and Observations.

Report, October 27, 2008 (34 pages, PDF)

Click here for a list and links to the earlier studies in this series

 

Toronto Transit Commission an Essential Service?

The staff report, Declaring the Toronto Transit Commission an Essential Service in Toronto, outlines the options and consequences of recommending to the Government of Ontario that it designate transit in Toronto as an essential service. The report outlines different collective bargaining dispute resolution methods used in North America, provides information on the current federal and provincial legislations in Canada regarding collective bargaining and essential services, provides a review of the comparative cost of negotiating collective agreements versus arbitration, and outlines the possible impact on the City of Toronto--including economic, health, traffic and environmental impacts--of a strike at the Toronto Transit Commission.

Report, September 22, 2008 (23 pages, PDF)

Globe and Mail, October 23, 2008: “An essential service”(Editorial)

C.D. Howe e-brief: No Free Ride: The Cost of Essential Services Designation, by Benjamin Dachis September 11, 2008, (6pages, PDF)

 

Compensation Planning Outlook, 2009

The Conference Board of Canada has released its annual compensation survey, Compensation Planning Outlook, 2009. This year’s Outlook looks at reward strategies and priorities, base pay increases, incentive plans, variable pay, employee turnover, performance management, and anticipated wage settlements. The projected average pay increase for 2009 is 3.9 per cent for non-union employees and 3.2 per cent for those unionized. Turmoil in the financial markets and the possibility of a global economic downturn will put downward pressure on pay increases in 2009. Recruitment and retention issues will continue to place pressure on businesses.

Report, October 27, 2008 (44 pages, PDF) Available for downloading by the University of Toronto community via the Conference Board’s e-Library (scroll down to find title)

 

Financial Post's Ten Best Companies to Work for in 2009

The Financial Post’s 10 Best Companies to Work For includes private sector companies only and is drawn fromCanada's Top 100 Employers, published by Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Financial Post, “Top Ten Employers,” October 22, 2008

Financial Post, October 22, 2008: “The Cream of Canada's Employers,” by Philip Quinn

Canwest News Service, October 22, 2008: “More firms aim to crack Top 100 list: Methodology; Firms are being graded in eight categories,” by Derek Abma

Financial Post, October 22, 2008: “Keen to remain top of mind for talent,” by Derek Abma

Canada's Top 100 Employers website – an alphabetical list of winning companies – click on company name for a summary and grading of why it was chosen

 

Health Care Human Resources in Canada

Health Care in Canada, 2008 is the ninth in a series of annual reports on Canada's health care system. It reviews the Canadian Institute for Health Information’s research on health care access, quality of care, health human resources, and funding and costs.

Report, October 23, 2008 (103 pages, PDF) – go to page 15 of the document for chapter titled Health Human Resources in Canada

 

 

Women of Color in Securities Firms

Advancing and retaining women of color in securities firms can best be achieved by understanding the unique experiences they face, according to Women of Color in U.S. Securities Firms, the third report in Catalyst’s Women of Color in Professional Services Series. The study identifies how firms can evaluate, develop, and execute effective programs by examining “intersectionality,” the juncture between race/ethnicity, gender, and birth country, and its impact on the advancement of women of color in the workplace.

Report, October 22, 2008 (72 pages, PDF)

Press release

 

Skilled Trades Employment

The study, “Skilled Trades Employment” in the October 2008 issue of Statistics Canada’s Perspectives on Labour and Income uses the Labour Force Survey to examine employment trends in selected trades over the past 20 years, the socio-economic traits of workers in the trades, and the characteristics of the jobs they held.

Highlights, October 24, 2008

Study, October 24, 2008 (10 pages, PDF)

 

Interprovincial Mobility and Earnings

The study, “Interprovincial Mobility and Earnings” in the October 2008 issue of Statistics Canada’s Perspectives on Labour and Income, examines inter-provincial migration. The paper identifies factors that influence the decision to migrate and the affect of migration on earnings. A descriptive analysis of the extent and direction of migration is also provided.

Highlights, October 24, 2008

Study, October 24, 2008 (11 pages, PDF)

 

Trends in Canadian Industry Outsourcing and Offshoring

The Statistics Canada analytical paper titled, “Basic Trends in Outsourcing and Offshoring in Canada,” by John R. Baldwin and Wulong Gu, presents the long-term trends in outsourcing and offshoring across Canadian industries. The paper is part of the Insights on the Canadian Economy series begun in 2003.

Article, October 27, 2008 (27 pages, PDF)

Executive Summary

 

Canada’s Immigration Policies and Systems

The Conference Board of Canada has released, Renewing Immigration: Towards a Convergence and Consolidation of Canada’s Immigration Policies and Systems. The report analyzes the changes taking place in Canada’s immigration policies and systems, looks at the global competition for talent and examines whether the permanent and temporary immigration programs are meeting the needs of employers and immigrants. It also offers suggestions for the development of future immigration policy.

Report, October 24, 2008 (67 pages, PDF) scroll down to title – publicly funded research available to all

Toronto Star, October 25, 2008: “Economy will need more immigrants”

 

High Regional Unemployment in Canada

According to the C.D. Howe e-brief titled, Fixing a Persistent Problem: Canada’s Regional Pockets of Unemployment, Canada’s low national unemployment figures continue to mask the persistence of high regional unemployment. The author, Colin Busby, suggests reforms to the Employment Insurance program including providing lump-sum moving bonuses, targeting aid to high-needs workers and allowing for short-term portability of regional EI benefits.

e-Brief, October 23, 2008 (6 pages, PDF)

 

The Future of Higher Education in Canada

The Canadian Policy Research Network has released, What’s Next? Report on the Forum on the Future of Higher Education in Canada, by Ron Saunders. The report examines key trends in post-secondary education and discusses policy options in terms of access, connections between post-secondary education and the labour market and new ways to deliver programs.

Report, October 23, 2008 (19 pages, PDF)

 

World of Work Report 2008

According to a recent report titled, World of Work Report 2008: Income inequalities in the age of financial globalization, released by the International Labour Organization, income inequality which has been growing in most regions of the world is expected to increase dramatically due to the current global financial crisis.

Executive Summary, World of Work Report 2008, October 16, 2008 (7 pages, PDF)

World of Work Report 2008, October 16, 2008 (178 pages, PDF)

Press release

 

Book of the Week

Investing in People: Financial Impact of Human Resource Initiatives, by Wayne F. Cascio and John W. Boudreau. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : FT Press, 2008. 324 p. ISBN 978-0-13-239411-6

In this book, Wayne F. Cascio and John W. Boudreau provide powerful techniques for implementing human capital metrics that track the effectiveness of talent policies and practices. Using their powerful "LAMP" methodology -- Logic, Analytics, Measures, and Process – the authors demonstrate how to measure and analyze the value of every area of HR that impacts strategic value. Among the areas covered in depth are hiring, training, leadership development, health and wellness, absenteeism, retention and employee engagement.

 

About the Authors:  Wayne F. Cascio is US Bank Term Professor of Management, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. John W. Boudreau is Research Director at the Center for Effective Organizations, and Professor of Management and Organization at Marshall School of Business, USC.

 

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Editor: Vicki Skelton
Designer: Nick Strupat

Copyright © 2008 Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, University of Toronto. All rights reserved.

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