Measures that improve work-life balance
In Quebec today, both parents are responsible for taking care of the family. The ever-changing work hours in the construction industry can make balancing work and family life a real challenge. And unfortunately, even today, it’s a situation that hits women especially hard.
CSD Construction is calling for flexibility in work conditions that would allow members to honour their family responsibilities and spend quality time with their family.
Adding flexibility to the schedule
Childcare services, school or medical appointments and family caregiving obligations are also part of everyday life for construction workers.
We’re committed to doing everything we can to ease your mental load and help you meet your family obligations. That’s why we’re calling for parents to be able to shape their work schedules to align with daycare and before and after-school care opening hours. We believe that this demand will bring more women into the construction field and help keep them there.
On top of that, after coming to an agreement with the largest union, we’re recommending that the 15-minute afternoon break be eliminated so that you can end your day 30 minutes earlier without taking a salary hit.
Adding family leave
CSD Construction recommends 10 days of paid leave for family or health reasons, so that you can, when necessary, be at the bedside of sick children or fulfill your family responsibilities.
These 10 days of paid leave would not reduce the right to other rights or benefits, such as employment insurance or the Québec Parental
Insurance Plan (RQAP).
We are also demanding that the mechanism be simplified in order to make this leave more accessible to construction workers.
Adapting work hours on remote job sites
Working in a remote area means you’re spending time traveling that makes your workweek longer. To compensate for that, we’re asking that the work week be shortened to 40 hours and to pay the first 5 hours at double time.
Expanding terms for reimbursing travel costs
We recommend that your travel costs be reimbursed even when you have to end the day early to take care of family.
Reviewing the calendar and compensation for special leave
CSD Construction is calling for:
- Adding Family Day in February as a paid holiday
- Increasing the allowance on special leaves by 1%
- Increasing leave to 104 weeks without losing the working relationship following the death of a loved one, with 5 paid days in the case of the death of a child, spouse, or child of a spouse.
- Adding 5 days unpaid leave to support a loved one during a request for physician-assisted death
Being informed quickly when work is expected to intrude on holidays
Let’s be frank here. Being required to work during the construction holiday is disappointing. The least they could do would be to let you know as early as possible!
So that workers and their families can make plans, we’re asking that employees be advised of changes to their schedules a month earlier, that is, May 1 for the summer holiday and October 1 for the winter holiday.
