Question Period Note: CATSA Screening Officers (a.k.a. screeners) offered bonus if they do not take leave this summer (2022)

As highlighted in the Toronto Star article, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) is offering workers a $200 a week bonus if they do not take time off this summer - including sick days.

• The Government of Canada is committed to making Canada an even better place to work by putting people first, protecting the rights of federally regulated workers and supporting productive and fair workplaces.
• In recent years, a number of changes have been made to the Canada Labour Code to better support work-life balance, including changes that provide employees with more predictability in relation to their hours of work and increased annual vacation entitlements.
• The Canada Labour Code also provides for job protected leaves such as paid personal leave. As well, paid medical leave will come into force no later than December 1, 2022.
• Most employees working in airports are covered by collective agreements that govern pay for hours worked, which must, at a minimum, meet the requirements set out in Part III (labour standards) of the Canada Labour Code.

• Federal labour standards are set out in Part III of the Canada Labour Code (the Code). The Code establishes the basic rights (e.g. hours of work, wages, leaves and holidays) of employees in federally regulated private-sector industries, such as banking, telecommunications and interprovincial and international transportation. They also help create a level playing field for employers by requiring them to meet these standards.
• Part III of the Code covers approximately 955,000 employees, employed by private sector firms, Crown corporations, and Indigenous governments on First Nations reserves – approximately 6.4% of all employees in Canada not employed in the public administration.
• Amendments to Part III of the Code came into force on September 1, 2019.These amendments were implemented to better support work-life balance by providing employees with more predictability in relation to their hours of work, increasing the annual vacation entitlements. Paid personal leave days were also introduced to allow employees time off with pay.
• Employees in federally regulated workplaces are entitled to 1) at least two weeks of paid annual vacation if they have completed at least one year of employment; 2) at least three weeks if they have completed at least five consecutive years of employment with the same employer; and 3) at least four weeks if they have completed at least 10 consecutive years of employment with the same employer. An employee may take vacation at the discretion of the employer or at a time mutually agreed to by the employer and employee.
• Part III of the Code provides five days of personal leave, with the first three days paid if the employee has completed at least three consecutive months of employment. Employees are also entitled for unpaid, job-protected leave of absence for medical reasons of up to 17 weeks.

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