Sick notes, or medical notes, are a common way for employers to verify an employee’s medical related illness from work. Recently, there has been a significant shift towards reducing an employer’s requirement for such notes.

Legal changes across the country are reflecting this. The rationale for this change is to remove the administrative burden for healthcare providers and employers along with reducing the risk for employees who must visit medical clinics, potentially exposing others and delaying recovery. The Canadian Medical Association has long advocated for the elimination of sick notes in the workplace, noting the burden they place on physicians and the potential for misuse.

Read on for a snapshot of what is happening across Canada regarding sick notes. 

The new leave related to pregnancy loss is set to take effect by December 2025 for federally regulated employees.

Read on to learn more about this leave. 

On December 4, 2024, the Saskatchewan Government introduced Bill 5, The Saskatchewan Employment Amendment Act 2024. The amendments were introduced to reduce the administrative burden for employers while protecting the rights of employees. The amendments, if passed, would come into force on proclamation.

Read on for an overview of the changes. 

As the first compliance deadline for Canada's proactive Pay Equity Act has passed, federally regulated employers should be preparing to meet key obligations aimed at closing the gender wage gap. Passed in 2018 and enacted in August 2021, this legislation places the onus on employers to proactively assess and adjust pay practices at set intervals, ensuring that employees in roles commonly held by women receive equal pay for work of equal value. By requiring employers to regularly review their compensation systems, the Act represents a significant move toward lasting pay equity in the workplace. 

The minimum wage in Saskatchewan will increase to $15 per hour on October 1st, 2024.

On February 1, 2024, the minimum requirements for notice periods regarding the individual termination of employees changed, with notice amounts now tied to the individual’s length of employment. These amounts are outlined below and are in addition to any severance amounts that the employee may be entitled to under the Canada Labour Code.

Beginning December 15, 2023, the federal government implemented a requirement that all federally regulated employers are now required to provide pads and tampons to any employee who needs them while on the job at their workplace. 

Read on to find out more! 

How do your team members feel about you?

Research shows around 9% of Canadians from 2020 to 2022 said their bosses were "bad," and 16% described them as "meh."

Using the right leadership style when managing a team will increase your chances of being called a "good" boss instead.

There are different supervision styles that managers can use. Let's explore how to identify and embrace the leadership style that works best for your team.

In the world of business, company culture has become a buzzword that is often thrown around. A great company culture is often viewed as a competitive advantage, contributing to employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity. However, as companies have become more focused on developing their culture, it's easy to forget the basics that make a great workplace.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the importance of getting back to basics when it comes to company culture.

If you are a federally-regulated employer, and the organization pays vacation pay each pay period, the federal labour program would say that this not compliant.

All employees, regardless if they are full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary or casual, must receive their vacation pay in one (1) of the following ways:

1. Within fourteen (14) days before the employee takes their vacation leave
2. On the regular pay day during or immediately following the employee’s vacation leave

Edited by Kendra Hinton

 One of Legacy Bowes’ core tenets is to build capacity within the communities and organizations that we serve. But what does that mean, exactly?

Through our learning and development services, we assist and support communities and organizations in building capacity to further develop their organization. We help by providing real-life tools and techniques that can be immediately applied into peoples’ daily lives.

Read on to learn about what capacity development is, why it is so important, and how Legacy Bowes can help you on that journey. 

Jennefer Nepinak, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Reconciliation, speaking during the Truth2Action official launch on April 13, 2023.

The TIPI Group of Companies is pleased to announce the official launch of its Truth2Action initiative. This initiative focuses on the TRC Calls to Action and is aimed at improving the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. With a mission of facilitating the healing process through increased understanding, respect, and collaboration, the Truth2Action team focuses on endeavors that promote truth-telling, justice, restitution, and addressing closing the economic gap.

Officially launched in the spring of 2023, this initiative offers support and guidance to organizations on their journey towards reconciliation through a number of programs.

With our annual Indigenous HR Skill Builder Conference coming up around the corner, we wanted to introduce our speakers and share more about our workshops and facilitators.

The theme of this year’s event is Mino-Pimatisiwin – Live the Good Life. As such, our sessions will focus on community wellness, and setting values and missions. Read on to learn more.

Legacy Bowes is always looking for ways to build capacity with our clients. We respond to client requests for training and HR support and can design and customize our offerings to clients’ needs. When we get a request that we do not have the expertise to deliver, we do our best to find a partner who can.

Following a client request for de-escalation training, Legacy Bowes made a connection with Krypteia Group International Canada (KGICA). They specialize in community and building safety planning, security audits, risk analyses, fire and disaster plans writing, hazard assessment, emergency response strategies and the implementation of subsequent recommendations.

A smiling group of team members high fiving in a conference room

Did you know that some of the best ways to boost team morale include recognizing good work, developing team goals, and leading by example? It may sound simple on paper but developing good strategies that meet the unique needs of your team require a lot of work and a commitment to improve their working environment. 

Even with the right people and best intentions, team morale can sometimes take a downturn. And if you let it get bad enough, it can have catastrophic consequences for productivity and interpersonal relationships.

Spring is almost here! For some that might mean trying something new, for others it could mean a new career, job, or company.   

We are currently experiencing a candidates' market, where there are more available positions then there are candidates. This could provide job seekers with the opportunity to be considered for a role that's a stretch or a step up. In these instances, it's important to make a great impression and make yourself stand out in a crowd. If you’re looking for some tips on how to do that, continue reading for some tactics that can help you on your search. 

Legacy Bowes is pleased to announce that Donna Bilodeau has been promoted to Vice President, Talent Acquisition Services.

A dedicated, people-oriented leader with over 20 years of business management experience, Bilodeau joined Legacy Bowes 16 years ago when the Executive Search team was comprised of only a few individuals. Since then, she has been instrumental in building the Executive Search practice at Legacy Bowes.

Legacy Bowes is pleased to announce that Tory McNally has been promoted to Vice President, Human Resources Services.

McNally is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources and has years of experience in human resources, operations, and family enterprise. She specializes in building human resources structures for small- and medium-sized organizations, with a strong customer service perspective. Tory also possesses a strong background in project management and full-cycle HR. She is a strong relationship builder and a detail-oriented professional that enjoys assessing and creating strong systems to support human resources in organizations.

Beginning Dec. 1, 2022, the federal government implemented changes surrounding the NEW Paid Medical Leave. As a result, all federally-regulated employers should be looking at their policies and current sick leave benefits to ensure compliance with these legislated changes.

Please read on for a summary of changes that have come into force.

Learning is an ongoing process for professionals. With how quickly things can change in the workplace, it's important that professionals lean into becoming lifelong learners to make sure they keep current and on top of trends.

But where should you turn to ensure you're keeping up-to-date? We're sharing our team's favourites from 2022, including podcasts, books, and blogs, that can help keep you in the know. These picks were all included in our quarterly newsletter called the HR Rundown, which provides human resources professionals and managers with quarterly updates on legislative changes, information on latest trends, and more.

Gone are the days when we stay at one job until retirement. And while it hasn’t been unheard of to change jobs every couple of years, a new trend is emerging.

Quick quitting is when employees are leaving their new jobs that they’ve had for less than a year in search of greener pastures. This is in part due to inflation, and the rising costs of groceries and gas, but it can also come down to employee engagement. You should also be sure to not confuse quick quitting with quiet quitting. While quick quitting refers to an employee leaving a role after a short tenure, quiet quitting occurs when an employee quits going above and beyond and only do what is required of them through their job descriptions.

So what are the signs of quick quitting? Read on to learn more.

By Manitoba Inc. Staff

Seven years ago, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its report to the nation with 94 Calls to Action to begin the process of reconciling with our nation’s Indigenous Peoples while facing the dark and painful legacy left by Canada’s residential school system. Call to Action #92 is aimed at Canada’s businesses and organizations and their relationship with Indigenous Peoples, including consultation, informed consent for economic development projects, employment equity, and education for business leaders and their teams on Indigenous history.

Since the Calls to Action were released, many businesses and organizations have started to explore what reconciliation looks and feels like for them at various levels. However, there is still more to be done to achieve true reconciliation. According to Jennefer Nepinak, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Reconciliation at Legacy Bowes, the work begins with education. “For meaningful reconciliation to happen, we all have to learn about the real history of our country and what it has done to Indigenous Peoples,” says Nepinak.

Senior Human Resources Consultant Kent Brown facilitating the Lateral Violence to Lateral Kindness program.

 A Lateral Kindness Warrior is a person who fights for kindness. It is a person who chooses to be kind even when people and the world can be unkind, someone who always keeps the sacred teaching of Love in their forethought, they always care about others, and are ferociously compassionate. A Lateral Kindness Warrior never tolerates lateral violence, intimidation or disrespect, and always stands up for those who don’t have a voice.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like somebody I’d definitely want in my corner. Better yet, that sounds like someone I want to be. While the idea is straightforward, earning the honour of “Lateral Kindness Warrior” is not a simple journey; it involves reflection and introspection, as well as dedication to being kind. Before becoming a Lateral Kindness Warrior, we must first understand what lateral violence is and learn how to deal with it.

The term “quiet quitting” has hit headlines in a major way. Not only has the hashtag #quietquitting been trending on TikTok, but major media outlets have also joined the conversation, expanding the discussion across mainstream media.

Quiet quitting is the concept where employees quit going above and beyond and only do what is required of them through their job descriptions. This comes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and during a time when employees are re-evaluating what work could look like.

While some workplaces grapple with how to manage this trend, there are some things employers can proactively do to help with employee engagement and satisfaction. We have collected a list of topics and supports to assist employers.

“Candidate-driven”, “candidate-favouring”, “candidate-short”, “employee’s market”, “labour shortage”, a “candidate’s market” … it doesn’t matter how you’re referring to it – if you’re trying to hire for your organization, you’ve most likely experienced the recent challenges in doing so. There is no doubt – candidates are in the driver’s seat, so what can you do to get in the shotgun seat?

Let’s take a look at ways you can ensure success when searching for candidates.

Photo courtesy of Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Manitoba

Legacy Bowes co-founder Barbara Bowes became the most recent recipient of the prestigious Legacy Award from the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) Manitoba on June 1, 2022. This award recognizes HR Professionals who have personified community and corporate leadership, advanced the HR profession and inspired others toward success through their lived example.

The Professional Excellence Awards are organized by CPHR Manitoba and recognize individuals who apply their HR expertise to the objectives of their organization and the people they support.

Photo courtesy of the University of Winnipeg

Legacy Bowes is pleased to announce that Jennefer Nepinak will be joining the organization as the new Vice-President, Strategic Partnerships and Reconciliation on July 1, 2022.

Nepinak – who is a proud member of the Minegozhiibe Anishinabe (Pine Creek First Nation) – brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience from her previous roles as the Associate Vice-President, Indigenous Engagement at the University of Winnipeg, as well as past leadership roles at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba, and with various First Nation governments, as well as with the governments of Canada and Manitoba. She has also served as a board member with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Elders Council, the Treaty Legacy Foundation, Rossbrook House, the Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation, The University of Winnipeg Board of Regents, the Canadian Education Coalition, and Manitoba Hydro.

“I am very excited to join the Legacy Bowes team. I admire the business approach that works to encourage Indigenous perspectives application in all that it does,” Nepinak said.