Trudeau feels it’s time for employers to Step Up.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is challenging the business leaders to a call for action. He stated while on tour in Germany:
“When companies post record profits on the backs of workers consistently refused full-time work – and the job security that comes with it – people get defeated,” Trudeau said.
Prime Minister Trudeau feels that:
“We have to address the root cause of their worries and get real about how the changing economy is impacting peoples’ lives.”
Click here to read Trudeau’s thoughts on this topic.
He is right – here are just some recent headlines:
- Apple reports a quarterly profit of $18.4 billion, the largest in history
- Airlines report record profits even as customer complaints soar
- GM earns $9.43 billion in 2016; UAW workers get record profit sharing
- Canada’s Food Manufacturing Industry to See Record Profits in 2016
- US banks just recorded their most profitable quarter ever
- Amazon just posted a record profit for the third straight quarter
- Canadian banks made $31.7 billion last year
These above headlines are not “Fake News;” this is what is going on in business right now in North America. A significant number of organizations are doing well, and many are doing very well and some are doing exceptionally well. But what is happening in the labour market with all this economic and business growth?
In December 2016, Statistics Canada noted that for the second month in a row, all the gains were in part-time positions, and noted the jobless rate fell because fewer people were seeking work. Some 8,700 full-time jobs were lost in November while 19,400 part-time positions were added.
These kind of statistics are not breeding optimism in the Canadian worker. Trudeau states very clearly what he believes should happen:
“For business leaders, it’s about thinking beyond your short-term responsibility to your shareholders,” he said. “It’s time to pay a living wage, to pay your taxes and give your workers the benefits – and peace of mind – that come with stable, full-time contracts.”
For an employee to feel engaged they must feel part of the organization. To increase workplace loyalty one place to start is for employers to provide full-time job opportunities to workers especially when they are seeing record profits.
Discussion Question
- You have been asked to by your VP of HR to assist her in developing a business case about the benefits of hiring more full-time employees over contingency workers. Conduct some research to defend your arguments in the business case.