The Manitoba government has introduced legislation to extend parental leave from 37 weeks to 63 weeks.
“We know that raising a family is one of life’s most rewarding challenges,” said Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen.
“We are pleased to introduce measures to provide additional flexibility for parents to care for their children, and make it easier for families to care for loved ones who are critically ill.”
The proposed legislation would also:
- establish a new 17-week leave to allow employees to care for an adult family member who is critically ill;
- raise the minimum age for employment from 12 to 13, to bring it in line with the United Nations’ International Labour Organization Minimum Age Convention 138
- eliminate the requirement for employers to obtain a permit before employing someone under the age of 16, instead requiring employers to ensure a young person between the ages of 13 and 16 has a certificate verifying they have completed an approved work readiness course online;
- introduce a new process to allow an employer and an employee or group of employees to enter into an agreement on averaging hours of work, without requiring approval from the director of employment standards;
- authorize the director of employment standards to refuse frivolous or vexatious complaints; and
- clarify unionized employees would no longer have the ability to file a complaint with the director of employment standards since collective agreements include grievance processes for handling disputes between employers and employees about wages or other terms of employment.
The coming into force date for changes to protected leaves is set at royal assent, while the remaining proposed changes would take effect upon proclamation.
