Toronto – Small businesses in federally-regulated sectors such as transportation, grain elevators, feed and seed mills, and telecommunications are facing massive changes to federal labour standard changes that will impede their ability to stay competitive and potentially hamstring the economy as a whole, warns the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). As of September 1, businesses in federally-regulated industries will have to provide employees with 96-hours’ written notice of schedules and 24-hours’ notice of shift changes among other changes.
“The federal government is trying to apply a one-size-fits-all, 9-to-5 business model to industries where that just doesn’t work,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly. “Our trucking members in particular have been clear that these labour standard changes will be devastating. They are facing significant labour shortages and are doing what they can to attract and retain qualified workers. Business owners already know that a good work-life balance is essential to keeping their employees.”
