Blogs

The Australian Fair Work Commission (FWC) announced a ground-breaking decision on July 3^rd to establish Australia as the first country in the world to enshrine family and domestic violence leave as a national right. With the ruling, Australian workers will have access to 10 days of unpaid leave to deal with issues that may include counselling, fleeing from violence, attending court or finding safe housing. This is an important development that takes critical steps to protect vulnerable workers and their jobs.

Economic insecurity is one of the greatest factors inhibiting victims of domestic violence from escaping violent situations at home. To address that problem unions and employers have developed paid domestic violence leave provisions which allow victims to attend legal proceedings, medical appointments, or other events or activities related to the violence they have experienced, without risk of lost income or employment.

Canada 150 represents more than just 150 years of being a country. It also represents the many strides we have taken as people. This video is a timeline of some of the accomplishments Canadian women have achieved.

Cultural competence is about our will and actions to build understanding between people, to be respectful and open to different cultural perspectives, strengthen cultural security and work towards equality in opportunity. Relationship building is fundamental to cultural competence and is based on the foundations of understanding each other’s expectations and attitudes, and subsequently building on the strength of each other’s knowledge, using a wide range of community members and resources to build on their understandings.[1]

In Canada, we have talked for a long time about the importance of respecting diversity and embracing a range of cultures as part of the social fabric of our society.  However the term, cultural competence, is a relatively new concept to many.

As Canada gears up to celebrate its 150th birthday, it’s imperative that we remember the history of our country goes back way more than 150 years. Have you seen the Nova Scotia coffee house sign yet? It’s true. Canada doesn’t begin 150 years ago. As our indigenous communities will tell you, they have been here much, much longer. The history of our country truly begins with them.

So before we get out the fireworks, paint our faces red and white and hang up the maple leafs, let’s take time to celebrate National Aboriginal Day on June 21st. Along with celebrating their unique heritages and contributions to Canada, we also need to recognize that the many injustices they’ve suffered. Good or bad, these are all a part of our history. Until we acknowledge and understand the many complex issues and the history of Canada, we will not be able to move forward and grow together.

We often hear about the need for flexible schedules for working moms. When workplaces can accommodate needs like childcare hours, sick days, breastfeeding and other issues related to the life of a working mom, this helps everyone. But what about flexible schedules for dads, too? We now live in an era where fathers are often just as involved in their children’s daily lives as their moms are, and in some cases, even more so. For this Father’s Day, along with celebrating all the wonderful dads out there, let’s also talk about why we should support working fathers as well.

The first week of June has been chosen as Sexual Harassment Awareness Week because June 2 marks the anniversary of Theresa Vince's death.

In 1996 her death changed the views of many people in Ontario about sexual and workplace harassment. Her tragic and untimely death showed us that workplace harassment can no longer be easily dismissed as a trivial problem.

Sexual violence can have lasting consequences. It’s well-known that survivor-victims of sexual assault can face emotional impacts, ranging from “shame, fear, anxiety, depression, traumatic stress reactions, and suicidal behaviours”¹. People can face significant psychological distress as a result of cyber-sexual harassment, workplace sexual harassment or stalking as well².

Mother’s Day. It’s a day when we celebrate all the moms and women of influence in our lives. This could be a mom of any type: a biological, adopted, foster or step-mom. It could also be a grandmother, an aunt, a close relative, a neighbour or a co-worker. It’s a chance to celebrate the women in your life. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate and honour the moms and women in your workplace.

On April 28 we mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. As we recognize the importance of a safe employment environment and healthy workers, the impact of domestic violence must be both acknowledged and addressed as an occupational health and safety issue.