Critical Examination of Canadian Employment Legislation for Human Resource Managers

Task

Labour relations, employment legislation, human rights and occupational health and safety legislation underpins the function of human resources in every workplace in Canada.  Often managers do not realize this, and further, they do not always take notice of when the laws change.  For instance, in Alberta in 2018, our (then) NDP government made changes to both Alberta’s Employment Standards Act and our Occupational Health and Safety legislation.  These laws had not been touched in over 40 years. The Kenney government made changes yet again in November 2020.  

Additionally, human rights legislation governs so much of how we interact with employees that it is essential managers know what they can, and more importantly, what they cannot do with regard to discrimination and accommodation.  This legislation extends to the recruitment activities which take place before an individual becomes an employee.  Canada also has extensive equity legislation and privacy legislation. Moreover, what is also and of equal importance to the manager is understanding whether they must adhere to provincial or federal legislation.  

For this Individual Research paper, the students will critically examine employment legislation to better understand how the legislation governs the managerial relationship.  The purpose of this Individual Research Paper is to:

Gain expertise in locating and interpreting federal and provincial employment related legislation.
Gain expertise in understanding when to refer to federal or provincial legislation. 
Enhance critical thinking and research writing
Strengthen planning and time management skills. 
Locate and correctly reference secondary sources. NOTE:  General information from the Internet is not acceptable.
Develop a better understanding of how the employment relationship is governed by legislation

Overview
1.Review this assignment in its entirety to ensure you fully understand the requirements.  If you have questions, 
please ask.  
2.Select one (1) of the following topics on which to do your research.  I have provided some questions as suggestions on areas of each legislation you might research.  I am NOT expecting a paper where you just answer these questions.  I AM expecting you to develop your own thesis statement/research question and either defend or refute such statement.  
a.Occupational Health and Safety legislation 
i.What were the changes made in Alberta in 2018? 
ii.What is included in this legislation – both provincially and federally?
iii.What are the 3 fundamental employee rights under this legislation?  
iv.Pick one element of this law and describe how it impacts the management of the employment relationship.

b.Labour Relations legislation 
i.What will we find in labour legislation that is not in any other employment legislation?  
ii.Describe these elements and why we have them?  
iii.What industries are covered under the federal/provincial legislation?
iv.Pick one element of this law and describe how it impacts the management of the employment relationship.

c.Human Rights legislation 
i.What are the reasons for this legislation?  
ii.What are the major elements of this legislation?
iii.Which industries are covered under the federal/provincial legislation?
iv.Pick one element of this law and describe how it impacts the management of the employment relationship.

d.Employment Standards legislation 
i.What elements are included in Alberta’s legislation & which are included in federal legislation?  
ii.What were the changes made in Alberta in 2020?
iii.Which industries are covered under the federal/provincial legislation?
iv.Pick one element of this law and describe how it impacts the management of the employment relationship. 

3.Conduct some preliminary research on the legislation of your choice. Your research should start with locating both the federal and provincial government websites and examining the similarities and differences. Then conduct some research through our library’s website to obtain peer-reviewed/scholarly sources.
4.You are looking for at least four (4) credible resources/sources that support your critical analysis/thesis statement for the legislation being researched. At a minimum, you need two (2) peer-reviewed scholarly sources. Your third and fourth sources must be credible and can be the government websites.  More sources are always acceptable provided they are credible and contribute value to the research.