News from May 2004

New Quebec law targets psychological harassment in workplaces
(May. 31 '04)

Quebec recently introduced a new law against workplace 'psychological harassment'. Unique in North America, the law will make employers responsible for preventing hostile behaviour and intimidation in their workplaces. Wallace Immen, writing in the Globe & Mail (26 May 2004), provides a useful overview and analysis of the requirements potential impacts of this legislation.

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Job-related training increases in Canada
(May. 9 '04)

Statistics Canada has released the findings from its 2003 Adult Education and Training Survey, which show an increase in the indicence of training. In 2003, 35% of workers received formal job-related training, up from 29% in 1997. In a departure from historical trends, it was older workers, not younger ones, who had the largest increases in training participation -- a good sign given the likelihood that employers will have to increasingly rely on older workers. Overall, there was little increase in employer support for training, so most workers rely on their own resources to gain the new skills they need. This is complemented by informal training, which the survey also examined.

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Job stress affects kids
(May. 9 '04)

A new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Research examined a number of common beliefs about the impact of parenting on children's learning and development. One of the interesting, and troubling, findings is that parents who bring home emotional stress and problems from work can poision their kid's success at school and life.

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US retirees face disappearing health benefits and pensions
(May. 2 '04)

The future looks bleak for the majority of US workers heading for retirement, reports Albert Crenshaw in an investigative report in the Washington Post (2 May 2004). A recent ruling by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission supported the growing practice by employers to change at will the level of pension and health benefits for certain groups of retirees. The EEOC ruled such changes are not age discrimination. This is one more indication of the erosion of retirement security in the US. Fewer than 30% of current and future retirees have or will have employer-provided medical insurance, shifting the risks of illness in old age to individuals and families.

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