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Family Day needs to be coupled with flexibility for employers

New holiday drain on productivity unless new flexibility put into Employment Standards

The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C. says the recent introduction of a new provincial holiday will hurt B.C.’s economy unless it is paired with some significant changes to Employment Standards.

“Everyone likes an extra day off, but what this means is the private sector and taxpayers are on the hook for the extra costs – paying people not to work,” said ICBA President Philip Hochstein. “In a fragile global economy, imposing new costs on business will do little to boost productivity and job creation. I’m not sure the message I would want to take to global investors looking for a safe haven for their money is ‘we’re adding to business costs in an economic downturn.’”

Hochstein said Family Day is only a good idea if all the rules around employment are re-examined and updated to better reflect the changing nature of work and the workplace.

“Our employment laws are stuck in the past. They’re based on people going to work from nine to five in a factory or office. Many people just don’t do that anymore,” Hochstein said. “Government shouldn’t just add a new holiday and costs for business – they should look at how we can modernize our entire standards system at the same time.”

About ICBA (www.icba.ca) The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C. services and represents B.C.’s construction sector. ICBA’s 1,100 members build in the multi-family residential and Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) construction sectors and are involved in virtually all major capital projects in British Columbia.

 

- Contributed by Jason Keenan, Communications Director, ICBA