Canada is facing a crisis of maternity leave in its labour force and is struggling to keep up with rising costs, the country’s labor minister said Monday.
Mulcair says a new federal law that gives employers a maximum of two weeks’ maternity leave per year will be reviewed by the Liberal government and “could be challenged in the courts.”
Canada’s unemployment rate has jumped from 8.1 per cent in February to 13.3 per cent last month, according to Statistics Canada data.
The country’s labour force participation rate has fallen from 64.3 to 58.8 per cent.
Canada has a high-performing economy, but has seen a number of labour market issues emerge recently.
The government is set to unveil new legislation next week that will expand the use of parental leave, expand eligibility for sick leave and provide more flexibility for companies with fewer workers.
The federal government also wants to introduce a federal childcare benefit, with a cap on payments to mothers of children under age two, as well as the possibility of increasing the number of days parents can work.