Late last year the Parliament of Canada passed Bill C-86, also known as the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2. While that name may sound boring, it’s actually an important law for many trucking, delivery, and logistics employees. That’s because the law includes changes to the Canada Labour Code, which are the employment standards for federally regulated companies, including some that grads of dispatch training could find employment with.
If you’re thinking about pursuing a career in dispatching, you may be affected by this new law. Let’s take a look at what changes C-86 will bring into force that matter to trucking and related companies.
The New Labour Code Standards Include Tougher Termination Policies
One of the biggest changes coming to the Labour Code concerns how much notice employees need to be given if they are being terminated. Currently, so long as a federally-regulated employee has been employed for at least three continuous months, they need just two weeks of notice or two weeks’ wages if they are being terminated. When Bill C-86 comes into force, notice requirements will increase depending on length of employment.
For example, while somebody who has finished three months of employment will continue to be entitled to two weeks’ notice, that requirement will increase to three weeks’ notice after they complete three years’ of employment, four weeks after four years’ employment, and so on up to eight weeks for anybody who has been employed for more than eight years. Also, when a group of employees are being terminated, they will all generally be entitled to eight weeks of notice regardless of their length of employment.
Federally Regulated Workers Will Get Much Tougher Labour Standards
Longer termination notices are just one of the enhanced rights federally regulated workers will enjoy once C-86 is implemented. Additionally, if you work for a federally regulated business after completing your dispatch course, you could also enjoy more leave days, including for court or jury duty, personal leave, and medical appointments. Workers will also have to be provided at least 96 hours’ advance notice of their schedules and they can refuse a shift if notice is less than 96 hours. Employees will also be entitled to more unpaid breaks, including a 30-minute break for every five hours of work.
These are just some of the changes coming, but keep in mind that if you’re part of a collective agreement, then some of these changes may not apply to you. Also, C-86 won’t go into effect right away. Instead, most of the changes will be implemented on September 1, 2019.
Figuring Out Which Automotive Careers in Dispatch the Updated Labour Code Applies To
It’s important to recognize that the updates to the Labour Code don’t apply to all dispatch, trucking, or logistics companies. Instead, they only apply to federally regulated businesses. What that means in terms of automotive careers is that if you work for a company that has trucks moving between provinces or across the U.S. border, then that company is federally regulated and must abide by the Canada Labour Code.
In some situations, companies may also be federally regulated even if they don’t move goods across provincial or international borders, such as if they’re a Crown corporation, doing work related to First Nations activities, or involved in the transportation of a federally regulated resource, such as uranium or fisheries. Trucking companies that aren’t federally regulated generally must abide by provincial labour laws.
Are you interested in a career in dispatching?
Contact Automotive Training Centres to learn about our dispatching program in Toronto.
