PSA: Your rights at work and the COVID-19 outbreak
A COVID-19 mini guide compiled by the Halifax Workers Action Centre: Can your boss send you home, do you still get paid, and what supports are there? Also, can you refuse unsafe work?
Know your labour rights
Getting paid on Heritage Day, the loophole holiday
In Nova Scotia most stores must be closed on Monday’s Heritage Day, but to qualify for a day off with pay you must meet quite a few conditions.
Judy Haiven: (Not) getting paid on Christmas and Boxing Day
In Nova Scotia non-unionized workers have to jump through hoops to qualify for pay on Christmas Day. And don’t even think about getting paid for Boxing Day. Judy Haiven explains.
Lisa Cameron: In Nova Scotia you must work 48 hours before overtime kicks in
At 48-hours, Nova Scotia has one of the longest workweeks in the country. Before a worker is legally entitled to earn an overtime rate of pay (one-and-a half times their regular wage), they generally have to have worked 48-hours over a one-week span. Lisa Cameron reports.
Podcast: Fighting for the rights of low-wage workers in Halifax
Scott Neigh does such a wonderful job highlighting activist work all across Canada. Whenever his podcast Talking Radical touches upon Nova Scotia he generously allows the Advocate to share. Here is Scott talking about the Halifax Workers Action Centre with Sakura Saunders and NS Advocate writer Lisa Cameron.
Lisa Cameron: In Nova Scotia employers can demand sick notes for no good reason
Lisa Cameron: In Nova Scotia, your boss can demand proof that you’re sick, even if it’s just a short term illness. Those requests make life miserable for workers and put stress on an already overburdened medical system.
Baristas fight back after Bedford coffee shop closes suddenly
The Nook Espresso Bar and Lounge closed its Bedford location in late July of this year. It did so suddenly and without giving any kind of warning to its seven employees. When the owners incorrectly calculated their notice pay, the baristas fought back, with help from the Halifax Workers Action Centre. Lisa Cameron reports.
Nova Scotia’s workers are falling behind
A recent CCPA report counts the ways current labour legislation fails to address needs of workers in the province. Provisions pertaining to standard hours of work, overtime pay, vacation, minimum wage, and statutory holidays are especially weak, writes Lisa Cameron.
Judy Haiven: Hurricane hardship in the workplace
During a hurricane or other storm when shops, bars and store are closed, most hourly paid workers – such as bar, restaurant, and coffee shop employees simply do not get paid. This week, they could lose nearly half their week’s pay (and tips), due to the closures. Judy Haiven explains.
Let’s hope you are paid for the Labour Day holiday!
Judi Haiven on working / not working on Labour Day and getting paid. It’s complicated. Know your labour rights!