Alberta’s Construction Industry Is Opening up about Mental Health

Louise Chénier, manager of workplace health and wellness research at the Conference Board, says 78 per cent of the short-term and 67 per cent of the long-term disability claims in the country are tied to mental health issues. On average, 500,000 Canadians will miss work every week due to mental illness. The greatest challenge in measuring mental health in the workplace is that the surrounding stigma discourages many from seeking help. This is especially true in traditionally male-dominated industries like construction. Read more

Collaboration on Construction Projects Can Reduce Risk

A Dodge Data & Analytics SmartMarket report, Managing Risk in the Construction Industry, has determined that collaboration between building owners, general contractors and subcontractors can aid in keeping construction project costs under control, result in a timely delivery and enhance the safety environment. Read more

Highway twinning a good thing, says expert

A green light for all of the proposed highway twinning projects in Nova Scotia could double the size the road-building industry here and create upwards of 1,000 jobs per year. Read more.

Urgent // Please provide feedback to WCB on “Pre-Existing Conditions Draft Policy” by Jan. 31, 2017

In September 2016, the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) issued a working paper and Draft Policy titled “Pre-Existing Conditions – Entitlement” for public consultation. Click HERE to review. The Office of the Employer Advisor (OEA) facilitated a working group to review and consider the WCB’s documents, meeting throughout the fall of 2016. In December, OEA collected comments, feedback and advice on the first draft of the Employer’s Submission to fully represent the employer’s issues on this subject.

Please find attached OEA’s Employer Submission. Please review the submission and consider the impact of the proposed WCB policy regarding the compensability/entitlement of pre-existing conditions.

CANS is in agreement and endorses OEA’s positions and recommendations following their consultations with industry and working group. On behalf of CANS Board of Directors and Members, we have submitted our Letter of Endorsement of OEA’s Employer Submission to WCB.

OEA has asked employers to do one of two things, or do both: return a signed/dated Letter of Endorsement to OEA or, copy the entire submission onto your own letterhead and submit to the WCB as your submission. The final submission of employer comments was originally due on Monday, January 9, but the WCB has notified stakeholders and extended it to Tuesday, January 31, 2017.

Click HERE for the OEA’s Letter of Endorsement template.

Click HERE for OEA’s Employer Submission document.

To submit your Letter of Endorsement to OEA, please contact:

Mary Morris
Executive Director of OEA
Phone: (902) 442-9366
Email: mary.morris@oeans.ca
Fax: (902) 252-3466

To submit your feedback directly to WCB, please forward it to:

Caroline Read
Policy Analyst, WCB of Nova Scotia
PO Box 1150
Halifax NS B3J 2Y2
E-mail: caroline.read@wcb.gov.ns.ca

How to Increase Labour Productivity through Lean Culture

How to Increase Labour Productivity through Lean Culture

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Canadore Trades Program Builds Up Aboriginal Women

Canadore College has a new program that is opening doors for aboriginal women in the trades. Read more

What Was CCA up to in 2016? What Are the 2017 Priorities?

Working with the new federal government, the federal infrastructure program, prompt payment and quality of design documents appeared near the top of CCA’s priority list in 2016. Read more

Gold Seal Expands in 2017 to Add Foreman Designation

The Gold Seal Certification program is expanding for 2017, adding the construction foreman designation amidst an overall modernization of the program. The addition of the foreman designation, effective this spring, will broaden the program’s application, with more job site supervisors at smaller firms and subcontractors becoming eligible, explained Gold Seal committee chair Kees Cusveller. Read more

P.E.I. bringing employment services together, focusing more on employers

The P.E.I. government has announced major changes to the way it provides employment services through non-governmental groups. Read more.

Buyer Beware – WHMIS Training

WorkSafeNB has learned that companies are contacting New Brunswick employers telling them they must retrain all staff on Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS). To convince employers to register for their course, the companies suggest the employers are not in compliance with provincial labour laws. Read more.