The Labour Bulletin, December 2024
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Welcome to the first edition of The Labour Bulletin.
The Labour Bulletin provides employers of federally regulated workplaces and their employees with the latest operational information to build awareness and strengthen compliance.
Employment equity
Introducing Equi'Vision: Examining gaps in employment equity data
Equi'Vision is a new online tool that helps employers understand their workforce data. By using Equi'Vision, users can search datasets to learn about pay and representation gaps for the four designated groups under the Employment Equity Act:
- women
- Indigenous peoples
- persons with disabilities
- members of visible minorities
Equi'Vision publishes and tracks workforce gaps. This allows employers to look at factors in their workplace that impact employment equity. Users can then use this information to improve equity in the workplace.
Canada is the first country in the world to make this level of information available to the public.
To learn more, visit Equi'vision or email us at ee-eme@servicecanada.gc.ca. Together, let's bridge the gaps and create workplaces where everyone thrives.
Misclassification of workers
Introducing expanded coverage for misclassification
As of June 20, 2024, all workers - including gig workers - are now considered employees unless the employer can prove otherwise.
Correctly classifying workers as employees provides them with important protections and entitlements under the Canada Labour Code, including:
- vacation and general holiday pay
- overtime
- rights on termination of employment, and
- health and safety
Check out the Misclassification in the Trucking Industry Awareness Kit and videos.
Labour standards
Labour standards sets out the working conditions of employees, including:
- hours of work
- payment of wages
- rights at termination of employment, and
- leaves, vacation and general holidays
Individual termination of employment
On February 1, 2024, changes to individual termination of employment provisions came into effect. These changes affect what an employee can request from the employer when a termination of employment occurs.
Learn more about individual termination.
Federal minimum wage
The federal minimum wage increases annually on April 1. In 2024, it was set at $17.30 per hour.
Details on federal minimum wage can be found at pay and minimum wage, deductions, and wage recovery.
Hours of work and exemptions
Exemptions from and Modifications to Hours of Work Provisions Regulations were updated for the following sectors:
- effective January 4, 2024: rail transportation, banking, telecommunications and broadcasting
- effective June 4, 2024: air transportation
Occupational health and safety
No one knows a workplace better than the people who work in it, so Part II of the Canada Labour Code gives everyone - employees and employers - a strong role in identifying and resolving health and safety concerns.
Addressing workplace hazards and supporting inclusive workplaces
Employers can create both safe and inclusive environments by considering both of the following for their workplace:
- workplace safety practices, and
- human rights principles
A Hazard Prevention Program (HPP) that's made for an employer's specific workplace must be in place to prevent work-related injuries and diseases. The HPP should apply these preventive measures from most to least effective:
- eliminate the hazard
- reduce the hazard
- provide personal protective equipment, clothing, devices or materials
If Personal Protective Equipment is the only way to make a hazard less dangerous but it stops an employee from doing their job fully, employers may need to accommodate them. Here are some tools:
- Following preventive measures to address workplace hazards
- Personal protective equipment: doing it right
For more information on accommodation, discrimination and the Canadian Human Rights Act, contact the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
Menstrual products
As of December 15, 2023, employers are required to make menstrual products available to employees while they are in the workplace. Learn more about the Requirements for employers to provide menstrual products.
Annual reports
By March 1, 2025, employers must submit the following annual reports for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2024, even if there are no incidents to report:
- Annual Workplace Committee Report
- Employer's Annual Hazardous Occurrence Report, and
- Employer's Annual Harassment and Violence Occurrence Report
Contact us
For more information on federal workplace standards, see Canada.ca.
If you have questions, contact the Labour Program, for:
- Occupational health and safety and labour standards call 1-800-641-4049.
- Employment equity, email ee-eme@servicecanada.gc.ca.