Bill C-40

2nd Session, 39th Parliament,

56-57 Elizabeth II, 2007-2008

house of commons of canada

BILL C-40

An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, the Canada Student Loans Act and the Public Service Employment Act

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

CANADA LABOUR CODE

1. The Canada Labour Code is amended by adding the following after section 247.4:

Division XV.2

Leave of Absence for Members of the Reserve Force

247.5 (1) An employee who is a member of the reserve force and has completed six consecutive months of continuous employment with an employer — or a shorter period that is prescribed for a class of employees to which the employee belongs — is entitled to a leave of absence from employment to take part in the following operations or activities:

(a) an operation in Canada or abroad — including preparation, training, rest or travel from or to the employee’s residence — that is designated by the Minister of National Defence;

(b) an activity set out in the regulations;

(c) annual training for the prescribed period or, if no period is prescribed, for a period of up to 15 days;

(d) training that they are ordered to take under paragraph 33(2)(a) of the National Defence Act;

(e) duties that they are called out on service to perform under paragraph 33(2)(b) of the National Defence Act;

(f) service in aid of a civil power for which they are called out under section 275 of the National Defence Act; or

(g) treatment, recovery or rehabilitation in respect of a physical or mental health problem that results from service in an operation or activity referred to in this subsection.

(2) The Minister of National Defence may, in consultation with the Minister, designate an operation for the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) and may authorize another person to do so.

(3) A designation takes effect on the day on which it is made or on an earlier or later day that is fixed by the Minister of National Defence or the other person. The Minister of National Defence or the other person may fix the day on which the designation ceases to be in effect.

(4) Despite subsection (1), an employee is not entitled to a leave of absence under this Division if, in the opinion of the Minister, it would adversely affect public health or safety or would cause undue hardship to the employer if the employee, as an individual or as a member of a class of employees, were to take leave.

247.6 (1) An employee who takes a leave of absence under this Division shall

(a) unless there is a valid reason for not doing so, give at least four weeks’ notice to the employer before the day on which the leave is to begin; and

(b) inform the employer of the length of the leave.

(2) If there is a valid reason for not providing notice in accordance with paragraph (1)(a), the employee shall notify the employer as soon as practicable that the employee is taking a leave of absence.

(3) Unless there is a valid reason for not doing so, an employee who takes a leave of absence under this Division shall notify the employer of any change in the length of the leave at least four weeks before

(a) the new day on which the leave is to end, if the employee is taking a shorter leave; or

(b) the day that was most recently indicated for the leave to end, if the employee is taking a longer leave.

(4) Unless there is a valid reason for not doing so, any notice or other information to be provided by the employee to the employer under this section is to be in writing.

247.7 (1) Subject to subsection (2), if the employer requests proof that a leave of absence is taken under this Division, the employee shall provide the employer with the prescribed document, if any, or with a document that is approved by the Chief of the Defence Staff who was appointed under subsection 18(1) of the National Defence Act.

(2) If no document is prescribed, or approved by the Chief of the Defence Staff, the employee shall, on request, provide the employer with a document from the employee’s commanding officer specifying that the employee is taking part in an operation or activity referred to in paragraphs 247.5(1)(a) to (g).

(3) Unless there is a valid reason for not doing so, the employee shall provide the document referred to in subsection (1) or (2) within three weeks after the day on which the leave begins.

247.8 (1) If the employee does not notify the employer at least four weeks before the day on which the leave that is taken under this Division is to end, the employer may postpone the employee’s return to work for a period of up to four weeks after the day on which the employee informs the employer of the end date of the leave. If the employer informs the employee that their return to work is postponed, the employee is not entitled to return to work until the day that is indicated by the employer.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if the employee notifies the employer in accordance with paragraph 247.6(1)(b) before the leave begins and if the length of the leave is not changed after the leave begins.

(3) The period of postponement referred to in subsection (1) is deemed to be part of the leave.

247.9 Despite any term or condition of employment, an employee may postpone their annual vacation until after the day on which a leave of absence that is taken under this Division ends.

247.91 (1) For the purposes of calculating the benefits of an employee who takes a leave of absence under this Division, employment on the employee’s return to work is deemed to be continuous with their employment before the leave.

(2) The seniority of an employee who takes a leave of absence under this Division shall accumulate during the leave.

247.92 Section 189 applies for the purposes of this Division.

247.93 (1) At the end of a leave of absence that is taken under this Division, the employer shall reinstate the employee in the position that the employee occupied on the day before the day on which the leave begins.

(2) If for a valid reason an employer is not able to reinstate the employee in that position, they shall reinstate the employee in a compara-ble position with the same wages and benefits and in the same location.

247.94 Subject to the regulations, if an employee is not able to perform the functions of the position that they occupy before the leave begins — or those of a comparable position, with the same wages and benefits and in the same location — the employer may assign them to a position with different terms or conditions of employment.

247.95 (1) If, during a leave of absence that is taken under this Division, the wages or benefits of the group of employees of which an employee is a member are changed as part of a plan to reorganize the industrial establishment in which that group is employed, the employee is entitled, on reinstatement under this section, to receive the wages and benefits in respect of that employment that that employee would have been entitled to receive had that employee been working when the reorganization took place.

(2) The employer of an employee who is on leave and whose wages or benefits would be changed as a result of the reorganization shall, as soon as practicable, send a notice to the employee at their last known address.

247.96 (1) No employer may dismiss, suspend, lay off, demote or discipline an employee because they are a member of the reserve force or intend to take or have taken a leave of absence under this Division or take into account the fact that an employee is a member of the reserve force or intends to take or has taken a leave of absence under this Division in a decision to promote or train them.

(2) No person may refuse to employ a person because they are a member of the reserve force.

247.97 The Governor in Council may make regulations for carrying out the purposes of this Division and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, may make regulations

(a) specifying the absences that are deemed not to interrupt continuity of employment for the purpose of subsection 247.5(1);

(b) specifying what constitutes or does not constitute an operation for the purposes of paragraph 247.5(1)(a);

(c) setting out the activities for the purposes of paragraph 247.5(1)(b);

(d) defining “annual training” for the purposes of paragraph 247.5(1)(c);

(e) limiting the duration of the treatment, recovery or rehabilitation referred to in paragraph 247.5(1)(g) or setting out the terms or conditions for the application of that paragraph;

(f) specifying what constitutes or does not constitute undue hardship for the purposes of subsection 247.5(4);

(g) specifying what constitutes or does not constitute a valid reason for the purposes of subsection 247.6(1), (2), (3) or (4), 247.7(3) or 247.93(2);

(h) specifying the circumstances in which section 247.7, subsection 247.8(1), section 247.9 or subsection 247.91(2) do not apply;

(i) specifying the circumstances in which an employer may not assign an employee to a position with different terms or conditions of employment for the purposes of section 247.94;

(j) prescribing the maximum duration of a leave of absence that may be taken under this Division;

(k) specifying the maximum number of leaves of absence — or the maximum duration of leave — that may be taken under this Division within a given period;

(l) prescribing the classes of employees that are not entitled to a leave of absence under this Division if the Governor in Council is satisfied that the fact of taking leave would cause unreasonable consequences; and

(m) prescribing the circumstances in which classes of employees are not entitled to a leave of absence under this Division.

CANADA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT

2. The Canada Student Financial Assist-ance Act is amended by adding the following after section 8:

9. (1) The Minister may enter into an agreement with a lender respecting the payment of interest — or a province respecting the payment of interest on provincial student loans — by borrowers who are referred to in a regulation that is made under paragraph 15(k) or (k.2).

(2) If there is no agreement, the Minister may pay the interest on behalf of those borrowers.

9.1 Personal information as defined in section 3 of the Privacy Act — that is under the control of a government institution as defined in that section — shall, on request, be made available to the Minister for the purposes of a regulation that is made under paragraph 15(k), (k.1), (k.2) or (k.3).

3. Section 15 of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (j):

(k) respecting the circumstances in which no interest is payable by members of the reserve force in respect of their student loans;

(k.1) respecting the circumstances in which no fees may be charged to members of the reserve force on their student loans;

(k.2) respecting the circumstances in which no amount on account of principal or interest is required to be paid by members of the reserve force in respect of their student loans;

(k.3) respecting the payment of interest under subsection 9(2);

CANADA STUDENT LOANS ACT

4. The Canada Student Loans Act is amended by adding the following after section 5:

5.1 (1) The Minister may enter into an agreement with a lender respecting the payment of interest — or a province respecting the payment of interest on provincial student loans — by borrowers who are referred to in a regulation that is made under paragraph 17(s.1) or (s.2).

(2) If there is no agreement, the Minister may pay the interest on behalf of those borrowers.

5.2 Personal information as defined in section 3 of the Privacy Act — that is under the control of a government institution as defined in that section — shall, on request, be made available to the Minister for the purposes of a regulation that is made under paragraph 17(s.1), (s.2) or (s.3).

5. Section 17 of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (s):

(s.1) respecting the circumstances in which no interest is payable by members of the reserve force in respect of their guaranteed student loans;

(s.2) respecting the circumstances in which no amount on account of principal or interest is required to be paid by members of the reserve force in respect of their guaranteed student loans;

(s.3) respecting the payment of interest under subsection 5.1(2);

PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYMENT ACT

6. The Public Service Employment Act is amended by adding the following after section 41:

41.1 (1) At the end of a leave of absence from employment that is taken by an employee who is a member of the reserve force in order to take part in an operation or activity referred to in paragraphs 247.5(1)(a) to (f) of the Canada Labour Code, the deputy head shall reinstate the employee in the position that the employee occupied on the day before the day on which the leave begins.

(2) Despite subsection (1), if a deputy head is not able to reinstate the employee in that position by reason of a workforce adjustment, the workforce adjustment measures that are established by the employer or the measures that are set out in agreements relating to workforce adjustment apply.

COMING INTO FORCE

7. The provisions of this Act come into force on a day or days to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.