Section A: Business characteristics
Section B: Workforce characteristics
T4 statement:
Statement of Remuneration Paid.
T4A statement:
Statement of pension, retirement, annuity and other income.
Contract worker:
Person providing products or services under contract to a business but for whom the completion of a Canada Revenue Agency T4 Form is not required. This person may be an employee of another business or a home worker (e.g., computer consultant).
Continuous employment:
Period of employment with no breaks. The employee has been employed by the same employer for the full period, with no resignation or termination of employment. Paid and unpaid leaves and absences agreed to by the employer are not considered ‘breaks’ in employment.
Clerical / Administrative:
Category of occupations for employees who carry out and coordinate administrative procedures and administrative services primarily in an office environment, or perform clerical work. In the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) classification, includes Administrative and Senior Clerical Personnel, and Clerical Personnel.
Examples: Administrative officers, executive assistants, general office clerks, couriers, secretaries.
Manual Labourer with no trade certification:
Category of occupations for employees who perform blue-collar duties requiring no on the-job-training to a few months of specific vocational on-the-job training. Generally, the manual labourers with no trade certification have skill levels lower than the skilled crafts and trades worker. In the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) classification, includes Semi-Skilled Manual Workers and Other Manual Workers.
Examples: Railway yard workers, longshore workers, material handlers, foundry workers, machine operators, helpers and labourers in construction, road maintenance workers, landscape labourers.
Marketing, Sales and Services:
Category of occupations for employees who are engaged wholly or primarily in selling or in providing personal service. This occupation category can require employees to have no formal training to an extensive period of training and some post-secondary education. The duties can require little or no independent judgement, to a thorough knowledge of the processes involved. In the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) classification, includes Skilled Sales and Service Personnel; Intermediate Sales and Service Personnel; and Other Sales and Service Personnel.
Examples: Insurance brokers, real estate agents, airline sales agents, retail salespersons, service station attendants, grocery clerks, cashiers, firefighters, cooks, butchers, embalmers, dental assistants, nurse aides and orderlies, tour and travel guides, hotel front desk clerks, correctional service officers, bartenders, nannies, security guards, janitors, kitchen and food service helpers, dry cleaning and laundry occupations, attendants in recreation and sport.
Middle and other manager:
Category of occupations for employees who receive instructions from senior managers and administer the organization's policy and operations through subordinate managers or supervisors.
Non-manager:
Any employee in a non-managerial position (see definition for senior manager and middle and other manager). Includes supervisors, professionals, technical/trades employees, marketing/sales employees, clerical/administrative employees, manual labourers with no trade certification and truck/bus drivers.
Professional:
Category of occupations for employees who usually need either a university degree or extensive formal training and often have to be members of a professional organization.
Examples: Engineer, chemist, biologist, architect, economist, lawyer, teacher, doctor, accountant, computer programmer, registered nurse, physiotherapist, minister of religion.
Senior manager:
Officials holding one of the most senior positions in firms or corporations. They are responsible for the corporation's policy and strategic planning, and for directing and controlling the functions of the organization.
Examples: President, chief executive officer, general manager, divisional head, or directors who have several middle managers reporting to them or are responsible for the direction of a critical technical function.
Supervisor:
Category of occupations for non-management employees who are the first-line coordinators of white collar workers (administrative, clerical, sales and services) and workers in manufacturing, processing, trades and primary industry occupations. Supervisors may, but do not usually, perform any of the duties of the employees under their supervision. In the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) classification, includes Supervisors and Supervisors for Crafts and Trades.
Technical / Trades:
Category of occupations which includes the Semi-Professionals and Technicians; and Skilled Crafts and Trades Workers. Semi-professionals and technicians are employees who have to possess knowledge equivalent to about two years of post-secondary education, offered in many technical institutions and community colleges, and often have further specialized on-the-job training. They may have highly developed technical and/or artistic skills. Skilled crafts and trades workers are manual workers of a high skill level, having a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the processes involved in their work. They are frequently journeymen or journeywomen who have received an extensive period of training.
Examples: Technologists and technicians; specialized inspectors and testers; dental hygienists; ambulance attendants; paralegal workers; graphic designers and illustrating artists; announcers and other broadcasters; coaches; sheet metal workers; electricians; carpenters; glaziers; welders; mechanics; tailors; jewellers; oil and gas well drillers; paper making control operators.
Other occupation:
Category of occupations for employees which do not correspond to any of the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) categories.
Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG):
Classification of occupations based on groupings of Statistics Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes.
For more details, see http://www.labour.gc.ca/eng/standards_equity/eq/emp/tools/technical_guide/page00.shtml#s02
Permanent employee:
Employee with no set termination date.
Non-permanent employee:
Employee with a set date after which they will no longer be employed.
Truck or bus driver:
Employee whose principal job responsibility is to operate a vehicle to transport goods or passengers.
Collective agreement:
Contract between an employees’ union and an employer on behalf of the employees.
Volunteers are those individuals who give their time, energy and skills for public benefit, of their own free will and without monetary compensation.
Apprentices are individuals who alternate technical training with paid on-the-job experience over several years to become certified tradespersons.
Intern:
Individual who participates in short-term, workplace-based learning experiences that are intended to help them develop skills and acquire hands-on, practical experience that will help them transition to employment.
Section C – Overtime
Overtime:
Hours worked above the number of hours employees are normally expected to work during a day or a week.
Section D – Hiring and Separations
Clerical / Administrative:
Category of occupations for employees who carry out and coordinate administrative procedures and administrative services primarily in an office environment, or perform clerical work. In the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) classification, includes Administrative and Senior Clerical Personnel, and Clerical Personnel.
Examples: Administrative officers, executive assistants, general office clerks, couriers, secretaries.
Manual Labourer with no trade certification:
Category of occupations for employees who perform blue-collar duties requiring no on the-job-training to a few months of specific vocational on-the-job training. Generally, the manual labourers with no trade certification have skill levels lower than the skilled crafts and trades worker. In the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) classification, includes Semi-Skilled Manual Workers and Other Manual Workers.
Examples: Railway yard workers, longshore workers, material handlers, foundry workers, machine operators, helpers and labourers in construction, road maintenance workers, landscape labourers.
Marketing, Sales and Services:
Category of occupations for employees who are engaged wholly or primarily in selling or in providing personal service. This occupation category can require employees to have no formal training to an extensive period of training and some post-secondary education. The duties can require little or no independent judgement, to a thorough knowledge of the processes involved. In the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) classification, includes Skilled Sales and Service Personnel; Intermediate Sales and Service Personnel; and Other Sales and Service Personnel.
Examples: Insurance brokers, real estate agents, airline sales agents, retail salespersons, service station attendants, grocery clerks, cashiers, firefighters, cooks, butchers, embalmers, dental assistants, nurse aides and orderlies, tour and travel guides, hotel front desk clerks, correctional service officers, bartenders, nannies, security guards, janitors, kitchen and food service helpers, dry cleaning and laundry occupations, attendants in recreation and sport.
Middle and other manager:
Category of occupations for employees who receive instructions from senior managers and administer the organization's policy and operations through subordinate managers or supervisors.
Non-manager:
Any employee in a non-managerial position (see definition for senior manager and middle and other manager). Includes supervisors, professionals, technical/trades employees, marketing/sales employees, clerical/administrative employees, manual labourers with no trade certification and truck/bus drivers.
Professional:
Category of occupations for employees who usually need either a university degree or extensive formal training and often have to be members of a professional organization.
Examples: Engineer, chemist, biologist, architect, economist, lawyer, teacher, doctor, accountant, computer programmer, registered nurse, physiotherapist, minister of religion.
Senior manager:
Officials holding one of the most senior positions in firms or corporations. They are responsible for the corporation's policy and strategic planning, and for directing and controlling the functions of the organization.
Examples: President, chief executive officer, general manager, divisional head, or directors who have several middle managers reporting to them or are responsible for the direction of a critical technical function.
Supervisor:
Category of occupations for non-management employees who are the first-line coordinators of white collar workers (administrative, clerical, sales and services) and workers in manufacturing, processing, trades and primary industry occupations. Supervisors may, but do not usually, perform any of the duties of the employees under their supervision. In the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) classification, includes Supervisors and Supervisors for Crafts and Trades.
Technical / Trades:
Category of occupations which includes the Semi-Professionals and Technicians; and Skilled Crafts and Trades Workers. Semi-professionals and technicians are employees who have to possess knowledge equivalent to about two years of post-secondary education, offered in many technical institutions and community colleges, and often have further specialized on-the-job training. They may have highly developed technical and/or artistic skills. Skilled crafts and trades workers are manual workers of a high skill level, having a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the processes involved in their work. They are frequently journeymen or journeywomen who have received an extensive period of training.
Examples: Technologists and technicians; specialized inspectors and testers; dental hygienists; ambulance attendants; paralegal workers; graphic designers and illustrating artists; announcers and other broadcasters; coaches; sheet metal workers; electricians; carpenters; glaziers; welders; mechanics; tailors; jewellers; oil and gas well drillers; paper making control operators.
Other occupation:
Category of occupations for employees which do not correspond to any of the Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG) categories.
Employment Equity Act Occupational Groups (EEAOG):
Classification of occupations based on groupings of Statistics Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes.
For more details, see http://www.labour.gc.ca/eng/standards_equity/eq/emp/tools/technical_guide/page00.shtml#s02.
Group termination:
Termination, either simultaneously or within any period not exceeding four weeks, of the employment of a group of fifty or more employees employed by the same employer.
Individual termination:
Involuntary lay-off with or without an enhanced severance package. Does not meet the Canada Labour Code for a group termination.
Temporary layoff:
Lay-off of employees which is expected to end after 3 months.
Continuous employment:
Period of employment with no breaks. The employee has been employed by the same employer for the full period, with no resignation or termination of employment. Paid and unpaid leaves and absences agreed to by the employer are not considered ‘breaks’ in employment.
Notice:
Amount of time between the moment an employee is officially made aware he or she is going to be laid-off and the moment he or she is laid-off. Under the Canada Labour Code, 2 weeks of notice are required.
Individual termination:
Involuntary lay-off with or without an enhanced severance package. Does not meet the Canada Labour Code for a group termination.
Collective agreement:
Contract between an employees’ union and an employer on behalf of the employees.
Severance pay:
Compensation that is paid to a qualified employee who has his or her employment “severed.” It compensates an employee for losses (such as loss of seniority) that occur when a long-term employee loses his or her job. Severance pay is not the same as termination pay, which is given in place of the required notice of termination of employment. Under the Canada Labour Code, there is a requirement to provide 2 days of severance per year of continuous service and a minimum of 5 days.
Section E: Benefits
Group RRSP:
Registered retirement savings plans administered by the employer.
Defined benefit pension plan:
Pension plan in which the benefits are set by a formula based on age, earnings and years of service. The contributions are based on the cost of providing the promised benefits.
Defined contribution pension plan:
Pension plan in which the contributions are set by a formula based on earnings. The amount of the pension benefits is not known in advance, but depends on the value of the accumulated assets at the time the employee retires.
Permanent employee:
Employee with no set termination date.
Continuous employment:
Period of employment with no breaks. The employee has been employed by the same employer for the full period, with no resignation or termination of employment. Paid and unpaid leaves and absences agreed to by the employer are not considered ‘breaks’ in employment.
Family-related or personal leave:
Leave for personal emergencies and/or important family reasons that can be requested upon very short notice.
Long-term care giving leave:
Extended leave granted to allow employees to care for a relative, spouse or common-law partner who is seriously ill, injured or disabled.
Paid supplementary maternity/parental/adoption leave:
Leave during which supplemental payments are paid by the employer to increase employee’s weekly revenue while receiving Employment Insurance maternity/parental/adoption benefits.
Section F: Workplace environment
Dispute or grievance review process:
Formal process where the parties affected by the decision in a dispute or grievance can request a review of the decision by a neutral third party.
Sexual harassment:
Unsolicited behaviour that is directed at or offensive to another individual; that a reasonable person ought to have known would be unwelcome and that has a sexual purpose or sexual nature. It may include, but is not limited to, unwanted sexual advances, unwanted sexual attention, leering, lascivious or lewd remarks and the display of derogatory material. It consists of actions, remarks, gestures – whether they occur only once or many times – which might be expected to cause offense or humiliation and, notwithstanding the intention of the offender, are unsolicited, unwanted and unwelcome.
Examples: Pressure for sexual favours; sexually suggestive looks, gestures or body language; sexual teasing, jokes, remarks, or questions; letters, telephone calls, emails or materials of a sexual nature; sexual talk or behaviour that creates an offensive hostile or intimidating work environment.
Violence in the workplace:
Any action, conduct, threat or gesture of a person towards an employee in their workplace that can reasonably be expected to cause (or have caused) harm, injury or illness to that employee.
Diversity and inclusion training:
Training which teaches conduct that is respectful and free of harassment and discrimination. It includes any information or sessions provided to employees which aims to foster workplaces that are welcoming to all persons, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age and sexual orientation.
Disabling injury:
Occupational traumatic injury or disease that prevents an employee from reporting for work, or from effectively performing all the duties connected with the employee’s regular work, on any day subsequent to the day on which the occupational injury occurred, whether or not that subsequent day is a working day for that employee. A disabling injury results in the loss by an employee of a body member or a part thereof, or in a complete loss of the usefulness of a body member or part thereof, or it results in the permanent impairment of a bodily function of an employee.
Board of directors:
Group of persons elected by the shareholders of a corporation to govern and manage the affairs of the company. Directors are either named in the articles of incorporation or appointed by the incorporator on formation of the corporation. The duties and makeup of the board varies by company. They may or may not be employed by the company.