e-4363 (Employment and labour)

The government strongly believes that workers should benefit from workplace policies that promote better work and home life balance, notably through telework. To that end, we provided a right for federally regulated private sector employees to request flexible work arrangements, under certain conditions. This includes the right to request a change to:

•         the location of work, such as working from home or a satellite location;

•         the scheduling of work hours, such as dividing work hours according to a modified work schedule; or 

•         the number of work hours, such as working part time. 

The rights and protections that support work-life balance offer many benefits for both employees and employers. They can help decrease employee absenteeism, improve their health and job satisfaction, and support their retention, especially among millennials, more experienced workers, and workers with family responsibilities. Such policies also create a workplace that is productive, innovative and effective that supports employees in carrying out their daily tasks.

Under these provisions, federally regulated employers are required to consider an employee’s request for flexible work arrangements without any negative consequences for the employee. An employer cannot, for example, dismiss, suspend, lay off, demote or discipline an employee for the sole reason that they made a request for a flexible work arrangement, nor can the employer take this into account in any decision to promote or train the employee. The employer must also justify any modification or denial of the request. Provisions governing the grounds for modifying or refusing a request for a change to the terms and conditions of employment are listed in the Canada Labour Code.

We have also implemented several other changes to federal labour standards that benefit women, persons with disabilities and any other federally regulated private sector employees who need to take time off work to cope with various life circumstances. Examples of such leaves include:

•         a new medical leave with pay of ten days;

•         the extension of the length of unpaid leave from 17 to 27 weeks;

•         a new personal leave of five days, including three paid days;

•         the extension of parental leave from 37 to 63 weeks;

•         a new leave for traditional Aboriginal practices of five days;

•         the extension of bereavement leave from three to 10 days

•         a new leave for victims of family violence of ten days, including five paid days; and

•         a new leave related to critical illness of an adult of 17 weeks.

In addition, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, includes amendments that will provide a leave related to pregnancy loss of three days with pay. In the event of a stillbirth, employees will be able to prolong their leave to a maximum of eight weeks without pay. Furthermore, employees who adopt a child will be entitled to take a leave of 16 weeks for carrying out responsibilities related to the placement of the child.

Taken altogether, federally regulated private sector employees benefit from the most generous set of leaves that can support work-life balance compared to their predecessors, and any of their provincially and territorially regulated counterparts.

The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for their engagement on this shared goal of improving Canadians’ work-life balance.