HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1977-03-16, Page 9If you are employed and going to
have a baby, you're entitled
to pregnancy leave.
This is what Ontario
is doing to make certain
you receive it.
We have a law in Ontario which permits any pregnant
woman, married or not, to take a 17-week unpaid leave of
absence from work to have her baby. This law covers part-time
as well as full-time employees, provided that they have been
working for the same employer for at least 63 weeks before the
expected date of birth.
When she returns to WOrk, the new mother is guaranteed
the right to her former position or to a comparable
position with no loss of seniority or benefits at the same Salary.
Naturally, pregnancy does not prevent an employee
from being dismissed for valid reasons not connected
with pregnancy, but pregnancy alone cannot be the cause
Of dismissal where an employee is eligible for leave.
An expectant mother is requited to give two weeks'
notice in writing of the day she intends to leave. She is
entitled to begin her leave any time. Within 11 Week8
before the b.aby's birth but She must take at leaSt six
weeks of her leave afterwards: If the employer wishes the
employee to begin her leave before she wants to do so,
the employer must prove that she is unable to perforM
her normal duties adequately.
The employee is eligible for Unemployment insurance
benefits during her pregnancy leave (even if she does not
intend to resume work when her leave expires) if she had
at least 20 weeks of ensured employment during the year
before the birth. At least ten of the 20 week8 should have
fallen between the 30th and the 50th weeks before the
birth.
If you Would like more information about pregnancy
leave or other labour legislation of interest to working
women, write to:
Employment Standards Branch
Ministry of Labour
400 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M7A 117
and We will send you a brochure.
Bette Stephenson, M.D.,
Minister of
Labour
Province of Ontario.
Davis,William
Premier
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THE BRUSSELS:- -Fi0Sti, 'MARCH- 16, ittt
Misses 3 meetings, keeps seat
Wingham school board trustee
Jack Alexander's seat on the
Huron. County Board of Education
was placed in jeopardy Monday
afternoon after he missed his
third consecutive regular board
meeting. Mr, Alexander has been
vacationing in Texas and was
absent for the January, February
and March meetings of the board.
At the January meeting, the
board reviewed. Mr. Alexander's
absenteeism and voted to grant •
him permission to miss two
meetings and to deduct his pay
for those meetings. The move was
not necessary according to trustee
R.J. Elliott who asked that 'the
board re-open discussion on the
subject, rescind their original
motion and pass another granting
Mr. Alexander permission to be
absent from the three meetings.
It is the third year in five as a
trustee that Alexander vacationed
more, down
The Canadian Bible Society,
Western Ontario District, has
raised 15 per cent more in 1976
than in 1975 although the
Seaforth area contribution - is
down. Contributions from local
municipalities, with the 1975
figure first are:
Bayfield, 408., 356.25; Bel-
grave, 427.50, 516.50; Blyth,
2428.80, 2829.00; Brucefield, 70.,
80.00; Brussels, 782., 540.00;
Centralia, 20., 45.00; Clinton,
695.54, 891.70; Dashwood; 545.,
for the two month period.
Mr. Elliott cited the Education
Act which states that a board
member who misses three
consecutive regular board meet-
ings without the board's
permission shall vacate his seat
and also states that a board
member can be granted a leave of
absence for two consecutive
regular meetings without the
board's permission. Another
section of the act states that the
board may deduct a reasonable
amount from the allowance of a
member for meetings missed.
The 13lyth trustee said that a
board member does not require a
leave of absence to miss two
-meetings and added that he felt
that 100 percent of Mr. Alexan-
der's allowance for the meetings
under discussion is not a reason-
able deduction for the time
missed:
in Brussels
407.00; Egmondville, 15., 70.00;
Exeter, 2171.,-1915.40; Goderich,
2560.14, 1206.65; Grand Bend,
130., 158.00; Hensall, 378.,
60.50; Hibbert Twp., 325.50,
356.50; Kippen, 251.15, 319.25;
Londesboro, 431.50, 364.00;
Mitchell, 813., 992.05; Seaforth,
431., 284.05; Varna 'Goshen,
233.50, 153.00; Zurich, 1428.70,
1155.00.
Total contributions were:
$168,792.19 in 1975, increased to
$193,673.83 in 1976.
Director of Education John
Cochrane said the board would
have to make a decision on the
matter or Mr. Alexander's seat
would, have to be deemed vacant.
He said the Wingham trustee had
planned to be at the January
meeting and miss only February
and March. A storm delayed the
January meeting however and
• Mr. Alexander had started his
vacation when the rescheduled
meeting took place,
Colborne trustee Shirley Hazlitt
said she was not so concerned
with Mr. Alexander missing the
meetings as she was with the
business held up due to his
departure. She said his absence
from committee meetings may
delay board business adding that
his allowance for the months he
missed should be deducted as
first decided.
Board chairman Herb Turk-
heim said that quite often board
members are absent due to
sickness and pointed out that the
member's allowance is an honor-
arium based on a year's service to
the board.
Ashfield trustee Eugene
Frayne said that sickness and
vacation could not be compared,
adding he felt that a year's
service to the board was 12
months not nine. He asked if the
people of Wingham knew Mr.
Alexander missed the time and if
they knew they were not being
represented at two or three board
meetings a year.
Herb Turkheim said he felt the
people of Wingham knew about
Mr. Alexander's absence and
showed their approval of his
performance by electing him to
another term on the board. He
said the Wingham trustee faced
some good competition in the
election and was voted in at the
top of the polls.
"They must be satisfied with
him" said Turkheim.
Under board policy adopted in
1975 the chairman's advisory
board is charged with the task of
keeping a record of attendance of
board members at regular board
meetings
Shirley Hazlitt said that under
the resolution the advisory
committee was given the
responsibility but suggested "it
hasn't been doing its job." She
said the committee should review
the performance of every board .
member regularly and asked that
it do the review now, paying
particular attention to Mr.
Alexander's absenteeism.
Mr. Elliott said the only way he
would consider the motion is if all
members were treated the same.
The board recognized the need
for performance review and
passed the motion.
Bible Society raises 15%
Ronnenberg Insurance Agency .
INCOME TAX
PREPARED
Farmers — Businessmen — Individuals
— At Reasonable Rates —
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[24 years Experience]
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Phone 887-6663
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Phone 347-2241