My province invented a new holiday! It's called "Family Day"!

And while I can't argue with a day off school, I still think it's a crock.

It just reeks of "Family Values". Even the premier said that it's to "Celebrate the importance of families." Gimme a break. By "family", what do they mean? Straight two-parent nuclear families? Not that there's anything wrong with that. But still - this particular politician seems kind of liberal in name only.

Plus, this is purely personal, but I really don't feel like I have much to "celebrate" this year.

The schools will be closed then? Unfortunately, I will have to work because the fed govt doesn't recognise it as a statutory holiday. Also, I don't think the Libs at Queens Park meant anything disparaging by declaring this a holiday. It's just that it's such a long time between New Year's Day and Easter and a day off in that long stretch would be kinda nice. If only the feds here in Ottawa would recognise it too.........

Have fun on your day off!

Q

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It appears that the Ontario government promised one more paid holiday this year.

They picked February as it is one of the months without an extra holiday

Anyhoo - here's a link for the curious

http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/family/index.html

and a snip from the FAQ Section

Will all Ontario workers be eligible to take off Family Day?

Most Ontario employees will be eligible to take off Family Day.

However, there are three categories of employees who may not have the right to the day off. These include employees who:

Are not covered by Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) such as employees who work in federally-regulated workplaces such as banks, telecommunications companies, railways and airlines or who are federal civil servants.

Are covered by the ESA, but fall within a special rule or exemption involving the ESA’s public holiday provisions.

Special Rule

Employees who are employed in a hospital, hotel, motel, tourist resort, restaurant, tavern or "continuous operation" may be required to work on Family Day if it falls on a day that is ordinarily a working day for them and they are not on vacation. In that case, the employer must either pay the employee his or her regular wages for the day and provide a substitute day off with pay, or pay the employee public holiday pay for the day plus premium pay (one and a half times his or her regular rate) for each hour worked on the day. A continuous operation is one that normally operates 24 hours a day and shuts down no more than once in each seven-day period.

Exemptions

Employees in certain occupations and industries are exempt from the public holiday provisions of the ESA. They are not entitled to take Family Day off, and if their employer required them to work on Family Day, they would not be entitled to public holiday pay. These employees include:

Seasonal workers (employees who work for an employer no more than 16 weeks in a calendar year) in a hotel, motel, tourist resort, restaurant or tavern who are provided with room and board
Taxicab drivers
Certain professionals such as lawyers, doctors, teachers, architects, chiropodists, chiropractors, dentists, massage therapists, optometrists, pharmacists, professional engineers, physiotherapists, psychologists, public accountants, surveyors, veterinarians and those covered under the Drugless Practitioners Act
Hunting and fishing guides, commercial fishers and some farm workers
Construction workers who receive 7.7 per cent or more of their wages for vacation pay or holiday pay
Firefighters; and
Registered real estate salespeople.



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I think we should have a holiday called "No work day"! Just be blunt about the purpose.

Get this though, it was proposed in an election year from our Conservative Premier (Don "blockhead" Getty) right after his son got busted on a big cocaine rap. You just can't make up this stuff about Conservatives.

It is a nice break in the middle of February. Every place I have worked for always has a disclaimer that this holiday could be taken away at the whim of the Government though. can't see it happening.