- Aging Workforce – Service Canada – Changes to the Old Age Security program January 28, 2014
For an overview of the changes to the Old Age Security program see Service Canada’s website at: Changes to the Old Age Security program.
Continue reading → - Aging Workforce – Government of Canada – Budget 2012 – Changes to the Old Age Security Act January 28, 2014
As part of the 2012 federal budget, it was announced that the age of eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will be increased from 65 years old to 67 years old. Changes will be gradually implemented between April 1, 2023 and January 2029. For an overview of who will be affected by the changes to Old Age Security Act, see Government of Canada’s website at: Budget 2012: Do you already receive Old Age Security? Then these changes don’t affect you.
Continue reading → - Aging Workforce – Statistics Canada’s population estimates: Age and sex, 2013 January 28, 2014
“According to preliminary estimates … 15.3% of the country’s population, were aged 65 and over on July 1, 2013. This proportion has steadily increased since the beginning of the 1960s mainly because of fertility rates persistently below the replacement level and increasing life expectancy. In 1960, the proportion of Canadians aged 65 and over was 7.6%. As of July 1, 2013, the median age of the Canadian population was 40.2 years. The median age was higher for women (41.1 years) than men (39.4 years). This difference is largely explained by a persistent, although diminishing, gap in life expectancy in favour of women.” See Statistics Canada website at: Canada’s population estimates: Age and sex, 2013.
Continue reading → - Aging Workforce – Statistics Canada Study: Years to retirement, 1998 to 2009 January 28, 2014
“Canadians aged 50 and over are working later and delaying retirement, regardless of their level of education. However, because of a shorter life expectancy, the less-educated are likely to spend fewer years in retirement.” See Statistics Canada website at: Study: Years to retirement, 1998 to 2009.
Continue reading → - Aging Workforce – Working Safer or Just Working Longer? The Impact of an Aging Workforce on Occupational Injury and Illness Costs January 28, 2014
Working Safer or Just Working Longer? The Impact of an Aging Workforce on Occupational Injury and Illness Costs (University of California, Berkeley; Frank Neuhauser, Center for the Study of Social Insurance, Project funded under contract with the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation (California)). This report looks at aging workforce. It also finds that “the risk of occupational injury is 20% to 50% higher for women in the same job working the same hours as men.” See report here.
Continue reading → - Economic – Recession January 27, 2014
The Institute for Work & Health has looked at the impact of the 208-2009 recession on workers’ compensation. See The impact of the recession on workers’ compensation claims on the IWH’s website.
Continue reading → - OH&S – Combustible Dust January 27, 2014
Combustible dust is an area in Occupational Health & Safety that continues to be monitored. For more information on combustible dust see CCOHS’s website at Combustible Dust.
Continue reading → - Communications – General January 25, 2014
As Socio-demographic patterns continue to evolve and become more global, communicating complex workplace safety, health and disability insurance information to a variety of stakeholders has its challenges.
Continue reading → - Communications – Pictograms January 25, 2014
“The US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has recently implemented the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). For the first time ever, OSHA labels will be required to show a pictogram to help convey hazard information. In Canada, we are starting to see the GHS pictograms on (Material) Safety Data Sheets and product labels. Within the next few years, WHMIS will also implement the GHS.” See CCOHS GHS Pictograms and Hazards.
Continue reading → - Communications – Temporary Foreign & Migrant Workers and Non-English/French Speaking Stakeholders January 25, 2014
Where appropriate, the following practices may be implemented:
- Multilingual translation of health, safety, WCB rights and obligations information;
- Ready availability of interpretation services;
- Toll –free multilingual hotline that is also accessible from out of the country;
- Multilingual content on websites;
- Targeted marketing;
- Grass roots community outreach to workers and also to employers/sectors hiring migrant workers;
- Linkages and partnerships with representative groups;
- Increased use of pictograms and video without language;
- Application of plain language principles; and
- Use of culturally diverse images in product design.