1. Your textbook distinguishes between positive and normative statements used in economics. Explain what these terms mean and provide a labour market example to illustrate. (3 marks)
2. How has Covid changed our view of the rights of workers? Find two current (within 3 months) Canadian articles that show how the work environment has changed due to policies implemented during Covid. Summarize them in your own words, and explain how they relate to one of the categories found in page 50 of your textbook (Government Involvement in the Labour Market).(5 marks)

Minimum Wage Rate All jurisdictions have legislated a minimum wage rate, although there are numerous exceptions and not all employees are entitled to receive a minimum hourly wage rate. For industn'es that fall under federal jurisdiction, the min imum wage rate is aligned with the equivalent in the province where the employees work. Economic conditions vary by province. The industrial composition of the economy also varies by province. As a result, the minimum wage rates varv greatly by province and territory, from $5.90 per hour to $8.50 per hour (see table 3.1). During poor economic times, the minimum wage rate is rarely adjusted; when the economy is expanding, the minimum wage rate is Increased more frequently. Pay Equity Concern over the differences in wages that have existed between men and Women has prompted governments to enact legislation that attempts to mltlrcss the situation. Initially provinces simply stated that equal pay must be chn for equal work. The legislation was altered to state that equal pay must t given for similar or substantially similar work. Since in many situations on and women do not do the same job, some jurisdictions have legislated til equal pay must be given for work of equal value; this is the concept of pay Ilily In order to implement pay equity, an approach must be developed that allows for the comparison of the values of different jobs. All provinces and ter- ritories have legislation that addresses the pay difference between men and women although the legislation varies among provinces. The implementation of pay equity legislation relies on the complaint system. That is, if a worker believes that he or she is underpaid, the worker can le a complaint to have the situation investigated. Several provinces, however, are taking a proactive approach that shifts the burden of implementation from the employee to the employer, on the assumption that reasons for the malefemale wage differential are deeply rooted in the economy and cannot be remedied by complaints alone. Employers must review their compensation procedures to ensure that their practices comply with the legislation. This com- pulsory review has been adopted in both the private and public sectors in Ontario and Quebec and in the public sectors in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward island. A discussion of the impact of pay equity legislation on the labour market appears in Chapter 11. Other Standards Several other employment standards have been enacted across the country. These standards include pregnancy or maternity leave, parental leave, adop- tion leave, bereavement leave, severance pay, advance notice of termination, required rest periods, and payment of wages. Governments in Canada also affect the operation of labour markets by imposing pay roll taxes on employers and employees. For example, Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan are financed by employer and employee payroll deductions. Some provinces levy payroll taxes for other purposes. For example, in Ontario a payroll tax provides rev- enue for healthcare. The impact of payroll taxes on wages and employment is covered in Chapter 10. nt Involvement in the Labour Market Governme relationship falls into the fol- Government regulation of the employment lowing categories: 0 Employment standards t Human rights ' Health and safety 0 Workers' compensation ' Employment insurance - Unionmanagement relationships Employment Standards All jurisdictions in Canada have enacted minimum employment standards. These standards are sometimes found in one piece of legislation, often called the Employment Standards Act; sometimes they are contained in several pieces of legislation. For example, there may be special legislation regulating hours of work, or there may be legislation specific to an industry such as construction or trucking. A discussion of the most common employment standards follows The specifics of various employment standards regulations listed below were updated for the writing of the text, but since the legislation in each jurisdiction is under constant review, these standards may have recently been altered. Minimum Age All jurisdictions have general minimum age requirements. That is, the legislA tion specifies that an individual must be of a minimum age before he or she can be hired. In general, the minimum age applies to all industries in a jurisdiction but some provinces have special considerations for specific industries, Tly minimum age requirements range from a low of 14 in Nova Scotia and Queby (if there is no parental consent) to a high of 17 for the federal government anil the three territories. Six provinces have set the minimum age at 16. Alberta any British Columbia have set the minimum age at 15; in order to employ someon younger than 15 in British Columbia, parental consent is required. A provin may have several minimum age regulations geared to different work enviro ments. For example, in Ontario, the minimum age to work in an industry establishment is 16, in a factory it is 15, and in a place other than a factory minimum age is 14.Hours of Work All jurisdictions except New Brunswick place a statutory limit on the number of hours of work allowed in a day or in a week. (New Brunswick has a restrict tion only for those under 16 years of age.) Four provinces set only a weekly maximum: 40 hours in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec, and 48 hours in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The other jurisdictions specify both daily and weekly maximums, with the daily maximum set at eight hours and the weekly maximum again varying from 40 to 48 hours. In some situations, such as seasonal industries, the weekly maximum hours can be extended. Most jurisdictions also require that an employee be paid for a minimum number of hours per day. Overtime Pay All jurisdictions have legislated a requirement that employees receive a pre- inlum rate of pay for working an excessive number of hours in a day or a week, but the definition of this number of hours varies by province. Seven jurisdictions provide for a premium rate of pay after eight hours in a day in Addition to having a weekly limit on hours before the overtime rate kicks in. light jurisdictions have legislated that overtime pay be earned after 40 hours In a week. Four jurisdictions have set 44 hours and two jurisdictions have set Ill hours as the weekly limit before the premium pay begins to apply. Themost common premium rate of pay is 1.5 times the regular rate of pay. Newfoundland and Labrador states that employees must receive at least $9.00 per hour for every hour worked in excess of 40 in a week. British Columbia has legislated that two times the hourly rate must be paid for hours worked in excess of 12 in a day in addition to the requirement that 1.5 times the hourly rate be paid for hours worked in excess of 40 per week. Vacations with Pay Granting employees an annual paid vacation is a relatively recent employ- ment standard. After World War ll, one week's paid vacation began appearing in collective agreements. Following the lead of provisions inserted in collec- tive agreements, governments imposed annual paid vacation requirements. At present, all jurisdictions provide for at least two weeks of paid vacation after one year of employment. In addition to the two weeks' vacation time, employers are usually required to give the employee a minimum of 4% of the employee's annual earnings. Saskatchewan alone has legislated a minimum of three weeks' vacation and payment of 3/52 of one's annual earnings after one year of employment; the province has also legislated four weeks' annual vacation after 10 years of service with an employer. The following jurisdic- tions have provisions for three weeks' vacation: the federal government, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, and Alberta. Statutory Holidays In addition to annual paid vacations, certain days are designated as statutory holidays. Employees are entitled to the day off and, in most cases, are entitled to be paid for the day as well. All jurisdictions have the following statutory hol- idays: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Canada Day (Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador), Labour Day, and Christmas Day. The federal government and Ontario have declared Boxing Day to be a statutory holiday Victoria Day is a statutory holiday in all jurisdictions except New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. If Quebec, the holiday associated with Victoria Day is referred to as Dollard Day The first Monday in August is a holiday in British Columbia (British Columbia Day), New Brunswick (New Brunswick Day), Saskatchewan (Saskatchewanl Day), the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Some provinces have desly nated Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving Day as statutory holidays. Albert has a designated Family Day. Quebec has an additional holiday on June 24 and, in some cases, employees can substitute Easter Monday for Good Friday The Yukon has Discovery Day (third Monday in August) and the Northwe Territories has National Aboriginal Day (June 21). Most provinces require that employees be paid 1.5 times the regular rate for work performed on a statulol holiday. Newfoundland and Labrador has established the premium rate 2.0 times the regular rate. All provinces except Ontario, Nova Scotia, hil Saskatchewan require that the employee be employed for a minimum num of days prior to receiving statutory holiday pay