May 18, 2009
- New Labour Focus Newsletter from HRSDC
- Labour Mobility for Ontario
- Green Jobs and Green Energy
- Canadian Solar Industry
- Men’s Support of Gender Diversity Needed in the Workplace
- Mining for Diversity: Changing the Face of the Industry
- Best Practices Pandemic Guide
- Mental Health at Work
- Job Sharing – why not?
- NUPGE on Pensions
- Productivity Spillovers
- Social Commitments in a Depersonalized World
- Book of the Week
New Labour Focus Newsletter from HRSDC
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Labour Program has issued a new publication titled, Labour Focus Newsletter. The first issue looks at protecting workers from the Human Swine Influenza, and the New Wage Earner Protection Program regulations.
Labour Focus Newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 2009
Labour Mobility for Ontario
Under proposed legislation workers certified in any Canadian province or territory will be eligible for the same certification in Ontario without additional training or testing. If passed, the Ontario Labour Mobility Act, 2009 would make it easier for workers to commence employment without long delays. Earlier this year, all provinces and territories agreed to eliminate the barriers that prevent certified workers from moving between jurisdictions to work.
Ontario Promotes Labour Mobility, May 5, 2009
Green Jobs and Green Energy
The Green Energy Act was passed in Ontario's Legislature on May 14, 2009. The goal of the Act is to create new green economy jobs and protect the environment.
Bill 150: An Act to enact the Green Energy Act, 2009
Ontario’s Proposed Green Energy Act – links available to documents
Globe and Mail, May 14, 2009: Ontario passes Green Energy Act
Canadian Solar Industry
The Electricity Sector Council has released a study titled, Building Bright Futures: 2009 labour force survey of the Canadian Solar Industry, which identifies labour force trends in the Canadian solar industry over the next three years. The study involved a web-based survey of 91 companies in the Canadian solar industry. The survey results will be used by the Canadian Solar Industries Association and the Electricity Sector Council to work with stakeholders to develop appropriate policies and programs to ensure that Canada’s solar industry will be equipped with adequately qualified and trained human resources to sustain its growth.
Study, May 2009 (54 pages, PDF)
Building Bright Futures, Electricity Sector Council website
Electricity Sector Council website additional research
New Brunswick Business Journal, May 16, 2009: How to fill the labour gap?
Men’s Support of Gender Diversity Needed in the Workplace
Why do some men support gender diversity in leadership while others do not? Catalyst examines this question in a report titled, Engaging Men in Gender Initiatives: What Change Agents Need To Know. The study provides insight into men’s advocacy for gender equality at work.
Report, May 13, 2009 (44 pages, PDF)
Mining for Diversity: Changing the Face of the Industry
At the request of the Mining Industry Human Resources Council the Conference Board of Canada developed a hands-on, practical resource for Canadian mining companies titled, Mining for Diversity: An Employer’s Guide to Attract, Recruit, and Retain a Diverse Workforce. The guide provides tips, tools, and resources and contains case studies and descriptions of innovative and creative practices that industry employers and MiHR are using to increase workforce diversity.
IInside Edge, Conference Board of Canada, Spring 2009
Employers Guide, Spring 2009 (20 pages, PDF)
Best Practices Pandemic Guide
The Alberta government has released a publication titled, Best Practice Guideline for Workplace Health & Safety During Pandemic Influenza. It provides information to workplaces on hazard assessment and control in preparation for and during pandemic influenza. The document is intended to serve as a guideline to all workplaces. It provides information on legislated requirements, best practices and strategies in workplace health and safety and employment standards in the event of pandemic influenza.
Mental Health at Work
The Consortium for Organizational Mental Healthcare and the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace have created a web based program titled Guarding Minds @ Work to assist employees coping with stress and mental-health issues.
Toronto Star, May 16, 2009: Guarding minds; Mental-health issues at work have become so common, specialists are joining forces to address it by Debra Mason
Guarding Minds @Work: A Workplace Guide to Psychological Safety & Health
Job Sharing – why not?
“Splitting one job between two people might seem a perfect solution for companies looking to cut costs and for employees seeking time away from work. It's popular in Europe but surprisingly rare in Canada.” An article in the Globe and Mail looks at how job sharing is seldom used as a means of providing flexible work arrangements for employees. A recent study by Linda Duxbury, Chris Higgins and Sean Lyons provides statistics on just how limited the use of flexible work arrangements are in Canada.
Globe and Mail, May 16, 2009: “Two workers, one job,” by Tavia Grant
Alternative Work Arrangements (from Reducing Work-Life Conflict: What Works? What Doesn't?)
Reducing Work-Life Conflict: What Works? What Doesn't? January 2008 by Dr. Chris Higgins,
Dr. Linda Duxbury, and Sean Lyons.
NUPGE on Pensions
The National Union of Public and General Employees finds that the current public debate surrounding problems with private sector pension funds fails to address "the real pension crisis in Canada" which is that most Canadians do not have a private pension plan and many have no retirement savings at all.
New NUPGE pamphlet highlights real pension crisis, May 14, 2009
Productivity Spillovers
According to the Statistics Canada paper, "Productivity spillovers from competitive reallocation: Evidence from Canadian manufacturing plants 1979 to 1996,” the magnitude of the spillover in productivity from growing plants to those in decline is relatively small.
Study: Productivity spillovers from competitive reallocation 1979 to 1996, released May 14, 2009.
Social Commitments in a Depersonalized World
Cornell University ILR School has made available a video of Edward J. Lawler’s lecture from the Workplace Colloquium Series titled, Social Commitments in a Depersonalized World. This is also the title of a forthcoming book by Edward J. Lawler, Shane R. Thye, and Jeongkoo Yoon.
Colloquium Video Footage, May 14, 2009
Book of the Week
The Sage Handbook of Industrial Relations, edited by Paul Blyton ... [et al.] Los Angeles : Sage, 2008. xvii, 670 p. ISBN 978-1-4120-1154-2
'This handbook is an indispensable teaching, research and reference guide for anyone interested in issues of labour and employment. The editors have assembled a top-flight group of authors and the end-product is an encompassing state-of-the-art review of the industrial relations field' - Professor Bruce E Kaufman, AYSPS, Georgia State University
'This Handbook will quickly become the standard reference in industrial relations research. It provides the most comprehensive and challenging presentation of the key theoretical debates and topics of research that will shape our field well into the 21st century. All who wish to contribute to this field will need to read this volume and then build on what these authors have to say' - Professor Thomas A. Kochan, MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research
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