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As much as jobs discourage it, many folks have hooked up with their coworkers – some have even ended up dating. We wanted to test this theory, and see which professions are truly the horniest.
From Ren Faire employees to Olympians, here’s what our research dug up.
Enjoy!
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Zach
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The pre-pandemic norm of working five days in the office is coming back for many Canadians, except it’s not exactly the same this time around. The cost of just about everything, from food to gas, has risen significantly from five years ago. But for many office-goers, their paycheques haven’t kept pace.
For those mandated to return to the office, they face increased expenses for transit, parking, meals, and even dog-walkers as they prepare to spend more time away from home.
Financial educator Eduek Brooks estimates the cost of returning to the office five days a week could range anywhere between $800 and $1,000 per month. Her calculation includes driving to work, paying for parking, and eating out a few times a week, as well as additional costs such as buying new clothing and beauty products.
“You’re so used to not having those costs and now going back and doing those things … There might be that big shock people will see in the first few weeks or even months of going back to work,” Brooks said.
Experts say this may be a time to search for some financial wiggle room for back-to-office expenses.
Caval Olson-Lepage, certified financial planner at Innovation Wealth, said it’s about taking your budget back to the basics of wants versus needs. “It’s really an awareness of what you’re spending that money on, and is it a need that you have to absolutely spend it?” she said. For example, instead of buying a coffee every morning, getting it just once a week can help divert upwards of $30 into your commuting budget, she said.
Olson-Lepage recalled how she diverted some of the money she would normally spend on commuting to buying more books during the pandemic. “Now that I’m going back to work, it’s like, well, as much as I love my books … I need that money now to go back to spending on gas,” she said.
Sara McCullough said there’s an assumption that working from home was automatically saving people money. “Are we? Did you get yourself an extra subscription because you weren’t commuting?” asked McCullough, a certified financial planner and founder of WD Development.
McCullough said people need to be realistic about how their spending habits have shifted over the years. She also said people should consider options for increasing their income, such as negotiating a raise or switching to a higher-paying job to offset growing return-to-work expenses.
McCullough said going back to the office today “isn’t going to be like it was pre-pandemic because you’re not who you were pre-pandemic.” That means people may have different needs and priorities than they did five years ago.
Olson-Lepage said managing in-office days without upending your household budget takes dedication and discipline. “If you can plan that time on a Sunday before the work week to prep all of your lunches, then it’s done,” she said. “You don’t have to think about it during the week when you’re more likely to be tired.”
Olson-Lepage said return-to-office is going to be a balancing act for many people as they get used to being outside of the home again. “It’s definitely not easy, and there is no … one-size-fits-all formula, but it’s about really just being aware of your situation,” she said.
Brooks suggested people buy snacks in bulk and keep them at their desk to avoid spending money when a snack craving hits. “You’re not tempted to go to the cafeteria or the vending machine or go out for a coffee midday because you have something that you can snack on,” she said.
However, despite your best efforts to minimize expenses associated with returning to the office, Brooks said people might not be able to save as much as they did while working from home. “The reality of the matter is that people might not be able to save for the first six months to a year of going back to the office while they’re making these adjustments, especially if you had such a major lifestyle change,” she said.
But as time goes on, she said it will be easier to get a sense of where the savings can happen.
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The Canadian Press
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Regulations that came into effect on Sept. 3 introduced protections for gig workers in the province, including: a minimum wage, mileage compensation, upfront fare transparency, and rules for account deactivation and dispute resolution. The regulations also give workers access to workers’ compensation through WorkSafeBC, a provincial agency that supports injured workers.
If you’re a gig worker or considering working through an app, here’s what you need to know about the rights you have across the country.
The regulations come after years of efforts by unions and gig workers themselves to have gig work covered by provincial employment standards. In provincial labour law, app-based workers are considered independent contractors rather than employees, which means they haven’t been eligible for traditional employment protections, such as a minimum wage and rules around termination and severance pay. Gig work platforms also don’t have to make employment insurance (EI) or Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions on behalf of gig workers.
The workforce for ride-hailing and delivery platforms, including Uber, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes and Lyft, grew 46% in 2023, according to Statistics Canada’s December 2023 labour force survey. That brought the total number of workers aged 16 to 69 to 365,000, up from 250,000 in 2022. Landed immigrants accounted for almost six in 10 of those workers.
B.C.’s rules are a “step in the right direction,” says Jim Stanford, an economist and the director of the Centre for Future Work, a progressive research institute. But gig work is still largely the “wild west of employment,” he says, and there are few avenues for workers to assert their rights.
B.C. is the first province or territory to implement a minimum wage for gig workers. At $20.88 per hour, the rate is 120% of the regular provincial minimum wage of $17.40 per hour. It only applies to “engaged time,” meaning the time drivers and couriers actually spend on assignments—hence the wage premium. Workers whose engaged time over a select pay period falls below the gig worker minimum wage are topped up by the platform at the time they’re paid. (Tips are not included in the minimum wage calculation.)
“The equation is difficult and it’s not perfect, but it aims to start to address idle time, when someone is waiting to pick up a person or package,” says Pablo Godoy, director of emerging sectors for the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW), a private sector union. The UFCW Canada signed an agreement with Uber Canada in 2022 that made the union the official representative for Uber drivers and delivery workers across the country.
As part of the new legislation, B.C. has mandated that platforms pay workers 100% of their tips. It has also introduced a vehicle allowance to compensate workers for the cost of maintaining their vehicles. Drivers receive 45 cents per kilometre for personal vehicles and 35 cents per kilometre for other forms of transportation, including motorized e-bikes and bicycles. (Those who travel by foot aren’t eligible for the allowance.)
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Kelsey Rolfe
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NEW YORK — The retirement wave is about to hit. A whopping four million Americans are expected to turn 65 every year for the next four years, and that can mean opportunity if you’re in the job market.
This wave of retirements will have ripple effects across the economy, and a big part of what’s at play here is demographics.
The Alliance for Lifetime Income found that 11,200 Americans will turn 65 every day through 2027.
That’s a record number, up from 10,000 per day over the past decade.
Some economists are calling it “Peak 65.”
Of course, not everyone who turns 65 retires right away. We know many households are working for longer as the cost of living has gone up.
But the big picture is there are more older Americans leaving the workforce than there are younger workers, like recent high school or college grads, getting in.
People who are on the job hunt might find that they have more options.
Right now, employers nationwide have posted a total of 8 million jobs they’re trying to fill, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That number of job postings is actually higher than the number of people who are looking for work, and it could stay that way for the next couple of years.
The other important dynamic for workers is this could help boost their salaries. If employers are competing to fill open jobs, they might offer to pay higher wages.
One industry that will be especially hit as baby boomers retire is health care; think doctors, nurses, and home aides.
Almost one out of every four health care workers is over the age of 55, so as those workers retire, their jobs will need to be filled.
Plus, our aging population means there will be more people who need critical health care services.
Other industries that have a big share of older workers are government and education.
This is a time for younger workers to think about how to maximize their opportunities and earnings in their careers.
The biggest share of workers under the age of 40 is in retail and hospitality. They might want to consider how their skills from those jobs can translate into more in-demand industries like health care in this changing workforce.
Copyright © 2024 ABC News Internet Ventures.
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ABCNews
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My money hero is my dear friend Bob Proctor. I met him in 2014, and—because we lived in the same city—we became friends. He became one of my greatest mentors. The celebrated self-help author and lecturer, who had only one month of high-school education, taught me so much about money. I understood what money truly is, the law of compensation and so much more.
The law of compensation has three parts: the need for what you do, your ability to do it and the difficulty there is in replacing you. The part that an individual needs to focus on is the second part: your ability to do it, and getting better at what you do. This is why I tell people it is important to get your reps in. I am forever learning and growing and getting more effective at what I do.
I have changed my relationship to time and I don’t think of having “free time.” I think in terms of activities and being present. For example, I love writing on the weekend. Some may look at that and say I should not be working on the weekend. But for me, it doesn’t feel like that. It is simply time. We all get the same amount, and it can’t be managed. We can manage our activities, and that is what I focus on. I have a lot of space in my calendar that might be considered free time but I don’t look at it that way. So, I have no need to fill it.
Perhaps it is like this: All of my time is free time. I have the freedom to choose how I will spend the time.
I am so grateful to say I would be doing exactly what I am doing now. Every week, Monday to Friday, I run The Rise calls. These calls are from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. EST. We start with writing our goal and then some teaching. These calls create a peak state for my clients, which they then carry with them throughout the day.
When I talk about a peak state, I mean they are connected to their goal and what they want to create. It is not about working hard; it is the opposite. They are focused to they can create their day based on the clarity of their goal and it fuels them for the day. They have order in their mind. They are not starting the day in a reactive state.
I often say my clients get more done by 10 a.m. than most people do in an eight-hour day. When you control your mornings, you control your day. And that is one of the reasons our clients are incredibly successful. Regardless of my finances, I would be setting my alarm to do these calls.
This is such a great question. I think my early memories around money were that it caused tension. It was a source of conflict in our home. I think that created a belief that money was not good, that it led to conflict, that it created complications and could damage relationships. The impact that had was in my revenue. Raising prices and receiving money used to be difficult for me. And that is not a great thing when you are an entrepreneur.
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MoneySense Editors
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The other excellent reason to charge GST and HST is that it pays off in dollars and cents.
One of the great advantages of being self-employed is that when you charge these taxes, you only give the government what you charged minus the GST or HST you pay on your deductible business expenses.
For freelance writers like us, this is the sales tax we pay on printer paper, internet service, professional development workshops and more. The government lets us in essence deduct the sales taxes we pay on deductible expenses from the sales taxes we charge our clients. We then pocket the difference. The amount we save each year is roughly enough to pay for a trip to Europe.
The good news is that we don’t have to add up every bit of GST and sales tax we pay on our expenses to take advantage of this. That’s because we use the “quick method” for our calculations.
The government gives you two choices for paying GST and PST/HST instalments: the “detailed method” and the “quick method.” With the quick method, you simply pay 3.6% of the 5% GST you collect. In the case of provinces with HST, it’s a percentage of the HST: so, in Ontario, you only pay 8.8% to the government from the 13% you collect.
The advantage of the quick method is that it’s much less work. You must only add up how much sales tax you charge your clients or customers. My spouse and I use the quick method and find it easy to do our calculations with an Excel spreadsheet. There is no need to keep a detailed account of the sales tax you pay on all the pens, paper, printer cartridges and more you claim as deductible expenses.
There’s another bonus to using the quick method. Governments offer a credit of an additional 1% on the first $30,000 of gross revenue. So, for example, in Ontario you pay 7.8% (instead of 8.8%) of the 13% HST you collect for that amount and pocket the other 5.2%. However, if you use the quick method, you must add the credit to your total revenue when you file your income tax return.
The detailed method involves more work, since you must add up the GST and PST/HST you paid on each of your expenses and subtract it from the taxes you collect to determine the amount you have to pay. But this calculation method is useful if your taxable expenses are proportionately high, amounting to roughly more than 50% of your income. The advantage of the detailed method is that you don’t have to add the amount you retain to your revenue when you file your income tax return.
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Julie Barlow
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“Think about what constitutes performance in [your] job,” he says. In some fields and industries, like marketing or financial consulting, performance is typically tied to a specific project rather than the number of hours an employee spends on the clock. Many freelancers do this by charging flat fees: The amount of time they spend on a project doesn’t matter, so long as they get it done.
In those cases, Friedman says, you might be able to arrange for a four-day workweek or flexible hours. “If the job is amenable, it has nothing to do with time, it’s not client-facing, you don’t have meetings—then absolutely, you should go and ask for it,” he says. “But you’ve got to have a plan.”
After all your reflection and research, it may be tempting to rush into your boss’s office and lay out your terms. Kaila-Gambhir advises against that—at least initially. Instead, she says, talk to your boss about the possibility of working less. That way, “you’re not committing to anything. You’re not giving them what your optimal, ideal scenario is just yet,” she says. “You just want to have a discussion—to explore options and see what may be possible.”
This phase isn’t just about gathering more information for your proposal. It also lets your boss see that you understand their position as an employer, one who needs to consider their own business needs alongside your request. Then you can book a follow-up conversation to ensure you keep the conversation going, Kaila-Gambhir says.
If your boss isn’t open to the idea of a hard-and-fast change to your work schedule, this is also a good time to suggest a trial run of your proposal. A conversation, rather than an ultimatum-driven negotiation, can feel less intimidating for an employer.
While it’s tempting to imagine that absolutely everything about a job is negotiable, that isn’t always true. For instance, it would be very difficult for an intensive care unit nurse to convince an employer to allow remote work. Same goes for the manager of a community centre or a barista.
In fact, most Canadian jobs have never been worked remotely. In April 2020, at the height of the first wave of COVID-19, it felt like everyone was at home. But the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey reported that 40% of Canadian workers were mostly clocking in from home. As of last November, it dropped to 20%.
To Friedman, asking for flexibility when your job cannot easily be done through alternate arrangements is a bad strategy. It won’t convince employers, he says, and might come off as entitled. If all else fails, finding a new job that will accommodate your desire to work less might be the best option. Some job postings include information on working from home, flexible hours, part-time status, etc.
“Do you want a flexible job? Then maybe you ought to apply for another position that has more flexibility,” he says. “I’m not telling you that’s right or wrong—I’m just saying that’s what an employer will say.”
You may have to accept the reality: a request to work remotely or outside of office hours may not be a possibility in your current job, or your boss may not see your working less as good for their bottom line.
But in his experience in coaching executives, Friedman says many are open to changing the ways their employees work. Negotiating a four-day week, a flexible work arrangement, or the ability to disconnect from email at the end of the day is totally possible, so long as you do your homework and know how to ask.
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Brennan Doherty
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Employees often receive other considerations such as benefits and health insurance, said Cindy Marques, a certified financial planner and co-founder of MakeCents.
“That will result in dollars saved,” she said. “And essentially, dollars in your pocket when you think about not having to outlay that money yourself.”
People often forget what’s included in their package or don’t keep up with changes to group plans, Marques said.
Jillian Climie, a compensation expert and co-founder of Vancouver-based consulting company The Thoughtful Co., said employees should take time to research and read up on what the company has to offer in perks and benefits before seeing a human resources representative.
“They’re not the most exciting to read but they have a huge value—doing that pre-work yourself,” Climie said. Especially as employees get promoted, she said it’s important to take stock of benefits as new ones roll in, such as funding for professional development and coaching allowances.
Fitness allowances such as gym memberships or coverage for at-home workout gear like yoga mats or even treadmills could be included in benefits. Other underutilized unofficial perks could include at-home ergonomic setups, monthly phone bill payments, paid parking spots and travel expenses, Climie said.
Marques said even the most common benefits such as vacation and health care go underutilized, with workers “not realizing that there’s actually a fair amount of value that they can extract from their workplace.”
She said people often don’t fully use their paid time off because they can’t afford to travel. “You can still get paid your full wage to just stay at home and relax and give yourself a break,” she said.
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The Canadian Press
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To get started, here’s an overview of what you need to know about moving to Canada, working in Canada and building a good credit history.
The more you know about Canadian money, savings and housing, the better prepared you’ll be. You can even do certain steps—such as opening a bank account—before you arrive. Learn about this and other personal finance topics, including key details about preparing to buy a home in anywhere in Canada.
Finding a job and earning an income soon after arriving in Canada can contribute to your success. We explain who can legally work here, how to apply for a work permit, how to find credible job postings and what details to look for in a job offer. We also tell you about non-profit organizations that help immigrants find work, sign up for free English classes and more
Moving to Canada or new to the country? These six major cities have many job opportunities in different fields—plus we look at the cost of living in each.
From tech to health care, Canada offers plenty of jobs for newcomers—and many of them are included in national and provincial express entry immigration programs.
Once you move to Canada, it’s important to start building a good credit history—it will have a big impact on your future here. If you plan to borrow money to buy a home or a car, for example, lenders will look at your credit report to decide if they’ll loan you money and how much interest to charge you. Employers, landlords and even cellphone companies may check your credit report. We explain how to build your credit history and how to improve your credit score.
Some financial products in Canada are similar to what’s available in India, like fixed deposits and GICs. Check out our list.
We’ve rounded up 15 more MoneySense articles that provide personal finance tips for different life stages—from your first steps in Canada to getting established to planning for retirement.
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MoneySense Editors
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It’s “tearin’ up our hearts” to see so many pets waiting to find a family of their very own all across the Austin area! So, in honor of Justin Timberlake’s unofficial “It’s Gonna Be May” month, Austin area shelters are working together to get pets into loving homes — “no strings attached.” Join us May 20th-27th to meet all of the pets vying to win your heart and who “just wanna be with you!”
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To avoid any repercussions, Gupta suggests using a matter-of-fact tone when sharing the experience online.
“The world has changed. We know that jobs are not forever. With most layoffs, there is nothing to be ashamed of, even if you realize, ‘You know what, I wasn’t quite what they were looking for,’” she said.
“And if you can show a bit of class and professionalism, it goes a long way.”
Kadine Cooper, a career and life transition coach, said the first thing you should do after being informed of a layoff is take time to ground yourself and come to terms with the loss. Once you have processed those difficult emotions, ask yourself what you want to do next, where you can seek out mentorship and surround yourself with individuals who want you to succeed.
When you’re ready to share your career update online, make sure to strike a positive and professional tone, as this can set you up for future opportunities, Cooper recommended.
“You still have the power, right? So start creating a positive narrative about it,” she said.
“Write your posts in a way that highlights your resilience and your adaptability and even maybe start emphasizing some of the experiences you gained during that time with the company.”
On the flipside, while some people choose to be candid about their layoff experiences to increase transparency around certain employers or industries, Cooper said “ranting and raging” on social media may hurt your future job prospects and discourage former co-workers from providing you with a reference for another job.
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The Canadian Press
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| Healthcare job | Average salary in Canada | Annual tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Midwife | $111,000 | $8,000 to $23,000 |
| Dental hygienist | $98,000 | $9,000 to $55,000 |
| Acupuncturist | $98,000 | $5,000 to $45,000 |
| Physical therapist | $94,000 | $10,000 to $42,000 |
| Massage therapist | $87,000 | $8,000 to $35,000 |
| X-ray technician | $82,000 | $7,000 to $30,000 |
| Paramedic | $66,000 | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| Personal support worker | $65,000 | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| Ultrasound technician | $59,000 | $5,000 to $37,000 |
| Pharmacy technician | $50,000 | $5,000 to $30,000 |
The following list of healthcare jobs is by no means exhaustive, but it gives you a starting point in your medical career research. The base salaries come directly from those submitted by Canadian healthcare professionals to job posting website Indeed. Think about your return on investment of pursuing relevant training and education in each discipline.
Average salary: $111,000
From the first weeks of conception to well after delivery, midwives provide assistance to those experiencing pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. This includes monitoring fetal health via ultrasounds, screening bloodwork and coaching. Becoming a midwife involves either getting a four-year university degree or a related postsecondary program in the field. It’s a regulated field. Tuition costs can range from $8,000 to $23,000. Like a doctor, this role also requires a period of hands-on training, and licensing rules and costs vary by province.
Average salary: $98,000
Cleaning teeth is just one aspect of this job, but it also involves monitoring for health risks like gum disease and diabetes, taking X-rays and, of course, assisting dentists in a range of procedures and surgeries. You can become a hygienist typically in two years, depending on which college, university or post-secondary dental hygiene program you chose. Like midwives, this role also involves getting a provincial license after you pass a certification exam. Tuition costs range from approximately $9,000 to $55,000 with licensing and examination fees ranging from $400 to $1,500.
Average salary: $98,000
Acupuncture stimulates and balances the body’s energy by inserting tiny needles into the skin. There’s growing support in traditional medicine that it can be a great way to relieve stress, promote better sleep and other health benefits, adding to the demand for acupuncturists and their unique skills. If you already have a bachelor’s degree in science, you can take courses to get more specialized training. Otherwise, you can enroll in a three to four-year diploma program and register with your local provincial or territorial body. Tuition costs range from approximately $5,000 to $45,000.
Average salary: $94,000
Mobility issues can come up through a sports injury, a car accident, habitual movements and restrictions, and/or through the natural aging process. Physical therapists (a.k.a. physiotherapists) work closely with patients on highly personalized treatment plans. This not only involves making detailed assessments of any challenges or limitations in a patient’s movement but setting achievable goals based on a series of exercises and in-office manipulations. Physiotherapy also requires careful ongoing monitoring for signs of progress or the need to change the treatment plan. Physical therapists need a master’s degree to practice in Canada. Courses usually take about two to two-and-a-half years to complete, and tuition costs can range from approximately $10,000 to $42,000.
Average salary: $94,000
Massage therapists help relieve physical tension and bodily stress, but they also help educate patients on how to continue therapies with stretching and exercises they can perform independently. HWC’s Cohen sees a particular demand for healthcare jobs that support seniors and long-term care providers, and this is a good example. Becoming a massage therapist begins with taking a three-year accredited training program. If you live in B.C., Ontario, or Newfoundland and Labrador, you’ll also have to apply for a regulated license that can cost nearly $1,000 a year. There are a wide variety of accredited massage therapy schools in Canada offering diplomas as well as massage therapy courses you can take across Canada. They can take between 18 and 24 months to complete, with tuition costs ranging from approximately $8,000 to $35,000.
Average salary: $82,000
It takes two to three years to become an X-ray technician, depending on whether you specialize in diagnostic radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine technology or radiation therapy. You’ll also need to be certified by the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists, unless you’re working in B.C. or Quebec, where Certification by the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists is not required. From there, you’ll be able to assist with diagnosing and treating conditions while performing everything from mammography to CT scans. Tuition costs can range from approximately $7,000 to $30,000.
Average salary: $66,000
When medical emergencies happen, paramedics are the first responders who assess illnesses, injuries and save lives. Depending on the situation, a paramedic might be applying oxygen, working with defibrillators or helping ensure patients are safely taken to a hospital. Expect to complete a one to three-year paramedical or emergency medical technology program through a college or hospital. Then you’ll be seeking both a provincial license as well as an additional license if you’ll be operating an emergency vehicle. Tuition ranges from approximately $5,000 to $20,000, while annual licensing fees range from $100 to $600, depending on the province in which you work.
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Robert Furtado
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The demand for health care workers has never been higher. The Canadian government has included health care workers in its first-ever category-based priority jobs process, announced in May 2023. The following month, it announced a new immigration stream for health care workers—the first 2,000 invitations to apply were sent out last year. Some provinces—including British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia—have express entry or dedicated pathways for newcomers to get health care jobs quickly. Nova Scotia’s program is a pilot project. (See resource box below for links.)
In-demand jobs: Health care jobs range from hospital administrative staff (such as medical office assistants, secretaries and schedulers) to unregulated care providers (such as personal support workers and physician assistants) to regulated professionals (such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists). (Regulation will vary by province or territory.) According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the need for nurses here is high, based on Canada’s RN-to-population ratio. (In 2022, we had just 825 nurses per 100,000 people.) Physicians are also badly needed. From 2022 to 2031, the number of job openings for family physicians and general practitioners is expected to reach 48,900, far outweighing the estimated 29,400 job seekers, according to the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS).
Training and credentials: This varies widely by job type, and by province or territory. Administrative and unregulated health workers may need training to satisfy job requirements; you can find courses at government-funded and private schools. For regulated health professionals, getting international credentials recognized in Canada can be challenging. This is changing somewhat, as regulatory bodies try to address the labour shortage. Still, getting licensed or certified to work in Canada can be expensive and time-consuming, and many newcomers are not successful in continuing their medical careers here. (Start with the government’s Foreign Credential Recognition Tool.)
Industry hot spots: The demand for health workers is strong across Canada. However, there are some places where the need is greater than others. Family physicians are most needed in the three territories (Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories), Quebec and British Columbia. Among the provinces, the physician-to-patient ratio is the worst in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and B.C. For personal support workers (PSWs) and continuing care assistants (CCAs), the demand is so high that some provinces, including Ontario and Nova Scotia, offer free training to qualified students. Graduates may be required to work in underserved communities for a certain period.
Salary range: Salaries vary widely by role, location and experience. A few examples from Canada’s Job Bank: Medical administrative assistants can earn $17 to $34.55 per hour (lowest rate in Prince Edward Island, highest rate in Yukon), with a national median of $22.56 per hour. Registered nurses can earn $25 to $83 per hour (lowest rate in Quebec, highest rate in Nunavut), with a national median of $40.39 per hour. General practitioners (family physicians) earn $69,539 to $497,843 per year (lowest amount in British Columbia, highest amount in Manitoba), with a national median of $233,726 annually.
There are many ways to join skilled trades in Canada. In mid-2023, the government announced a category-based priority immigration plan that includes trades jobs, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors. Some provinces, such as Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, have programs to compete for much-needed skilled workers. (See resource box below for links.)
In-demand jobs: Below are the top five Red Seal tradespeople in demand from now until 2026, according to Employment and Social Development Canada. (The Red Seal Program sets the standards for skills assessment of tradespeople. Canada has more than 300 designated trades; about 50 of them are Red Seal trades.)
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Veronica Silva Cusi
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Pricing your services can be tricky, even for experienced freelancers. Let’s go over the factors to consider when deciding your rates. There are three parts to this: understanding the market you’re in, determining your income needs and your business’s break-even point and, lastly, setting your price using cost-based or value-based pricing.
The first step in finding out how much you should charge for freelance services is to do market research. You’ll want to determine the following:
Then, map out where you fall into this mix, and use your research as a benchmark when making your own decisions. When doing this analysis, you can figure out your place in the market using the popular S.W.O.T. method: find out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in your business environment (your geographical region or your competition online, for example). This will also help you compare your offerings to those of other vendors.
If you’re a freelance event photographer, for example, and you offer photos but not videos, your service packages should be priced lower than those of freelancers who offer both. This could help you attract customers who are looking for more affordable rates. And, you could also expand your services to include video in the future.
By the end of your research, you should be able to answer some questions about how much you will invoice as a freelancer, such as:
Now, you need to determine the dollar amount you should charge for your freelance services. There are two parts to this: a personal needs assessment and calculating your business expenses.
How much will you need to pay yourself? Understanding your personal needs (rent payments, utilities and other necessities) versus wants (discretionary spending on food, entertainment or hobbies) will help you determine what you are able to pay yourself and what you are willing to sacrifice until your business grows.
Let’s say your needs require that you earn at least $1,000 a month from freelancing in addition to your other sources of income. When determining your personal payout, you need to consider your income tax bracket as well—new freelancers often forget about this. If your needs cost you $1,000 per month, and you’re roughly in a 30% tax bracket, you’ll need to pay yourself at least $1,300 from the business. (Read more about tax brackets, how they work in Canada and find out how much taxes you may have to pay.)
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Shalini Dharna Kibsey, CPA
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The second phase of the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) enhancement program has come into effect as of January 2024, and with it, the final CPP contribution rate increase for most Canadians. In an effort to ensure adequate retirement pensions, this seven-year government initiative involving incremental raises to the contribution rate came into effect in 2019, and it involved incremental raises to the contribution rate.
Now, the second CPP enhancement is introducing an additional “earnings ceiling,” which will affect some middle- and high-income earners. Does that include you? Learn everything you need to know about the CPP enhancement and the 2024 changes in this explainer.
The CPP is one of three primary government programs, along with Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), designed to provide Canadians with income to last them throughout retirement. For some workers, this amount is supplemented by an employer-provided defined benefit (DB) plan, which guarantees a certain amount of income for life, while others save for retirement using vehicles like registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs).
According to Evan Parubets, head of the advisory services team at Steadyhand Investment Funds Inc., this approach worked for many decades. “We used to have average savings rates of over 20% in Canada, back in the early ’80s,” he says, “but saving rates have basically been falling for decades.”
Declining personal savings isn’t the only issue. “Over the last several decades, companies have let go of defined benefit plans and replaced them with defined contribution plans,” Parubets says. These packages have employers matching employee contributions for investment. “This brought in more unpredictability towards retirement.”
By 2019, it became clear that many Canadians were not going to have sufficient savings or assets for their retirement, says Parubets. “The government made a decision to essentially enhance the government benefits to make up for the lack of private benefits.”
Introduced in 2016 and begun in 2019, the CPP enhancement is a seven-year program designed to boost retirement pensions by increasing the amount of CPP contributions.
Since the CPP was introduced in 1965, Canadian workers have contributed by way of payroll deductions or, in the case of self-employed people, at tax time.
Each Canadian worker can earn up to $3,500 (the “basic exemption amount”) without paying into CPP. Think of this as your personal base rate when you file your taxes. Any money you earn after that is subject to CPP deductions—up to the year’s maximum pensionable earnings (YMPE). The YMPE is also called an “earnings ceiling”—that is, anything earned above this amount will not be subject to additional CPP contributions.
In 2018, prior to the first enhancement, the rate for Canadian employees was 4.95% (with employers matching this contribution). Self-employed Canadians paid double—or 9.9%—because for these purposes, they serve as both the employer and employee. So, with a YMPE of $55,900 in 2018, an employed person earning that much or more would pay 4.95% in CPP on $52,400 ($55,900 minus the basic exemption amount of $3,500), for a total of $2,593.80. A self-employed person making $55,900 or more would pay double, for a total of $5,187.60.
The federal government introduced the CPP enhancements as a seven-year plan with two phases, each with escalating YMPEs and CPP contribution rates. This way, Canadians wouldn’t have to absorb the new costs all at once.
The first enhancement, CPP1, went into effect in 2019 with a YMPE of $57,400 and a CPP contribution rate of 5.1% (10.2% for self-employed people). Over the next five years, both the YMPE and the contributions rates increased marginally. In 2023, the YMPE was $66,600 with a contribution rate of 5.95% (11.9% for self-employed people).
The final phase of the CPP enhancement starts in January 2024. Instead of raising the rates further, this phase adds a year’s additional maximum pensionable earnings (YAMPE), or second earnings ceiling, with a contribution amount of 4% for employees and 8% for freelancers and other self-employed Canadians. In other words, the second earnings ceiling is meant to capture a portion of the income of higher-earning Canadians.
To understand how the CPP enhancements work, let’s use an example of someone with an annual salary of $100,000, to make the math clear.
Jameela from Edmonton earns $100,000 annually as an employee. Under CPP1, with the 2023 rates of 5.95% and a YMPE of $66,600, she would owe $3,754.45, based on the following formula: ($66,600 minus the basic exemption amount of $3,500) x 5.95%. Jameela would pay nothing on any amount she makes over $66,600.
In 2024, with a YMPE of $68,500 and a YAMPE of $73,200, Jameela’s CPP contributions are a bit different. She will pay 5.95% on the first $68,500 (minus $3,500), for a total of $3,867.50. In addition, she owes 4% on the money she earns between the first and second earnings ceilings (or between the YMPE and YAMPE), which is: $73,200 – $68,500 = $4,700. Multiplied by 4%, that comes out to $188. Her contributions will total $4,055.50.
As of 2024, the CPP contribution rates for employees and the self-employed are the same as in 2023: 5.95% and 11.9%, respectively, unless they make more than the YMPE, which is $68,500 in 2024 and an estimated $69,700 in 2025.
Workers who make more than the YMPE will contribute more—at a rate of 4% for employees and 8% for freelancers. This rate will only apply to the earnings between the first and second earnings ceilings.
Self-employed Canadians have always had to pay both the employer and employee portions of their CPP contributions, and it’s no different with these enhancements.
“Compared to employed individuals, they are certainly at a disadvantage in the sense they have to pay double,” Parubets says. “Nevertheless, it is a form of savings. You’re getting that money back.” Plus, everyone can claim a federal tax credit of 15% of their CPP contributions. Self-employed contributors can also deduct the employer portion of their CPP contributions yielding tax savings at their marginal tax rate.
As with Canadian employed workers, just how much a Canadian freelancer will pay depends on their income. For example:
James is a freelancer in Quebec City who makes $55,000 per year, so his earnings fall under the first earnings ceiling. He will pay 11.9% on his eligible income. However, in 2025 he takes on a new client and his earnings jump to $80,000. Therefore, he will pay 11.9% up to the YMPE and 8% on the money between the YMPE and the YAMPE.
It bears mentioning that in the example of James, living in Quebec, he will be contributing to the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP). The QPP mirrors the CPP in terms of contributions and earnings thresholds, as well as pension payments.
Most Canadians, no matter their incomes, will benefit from the raised CPP rates when they retire due to a higher pension, with one notable exception—retired workers who qualify for the GIS.
“Say you’ve been working low-income jobs all your life and contributing to CPP. Eventually you’ll get your money back,” says Parubets. “But if you’re still low-income and on GIS, they’ll claw back the GIS pension money that you would have otherwise been entitled to.” (A clawback is a means-tested reduction in government benefits.) The clawback rate hovers somewhere between 50% and 75%. “A person who’s never worked and never contributed to CPP will likely get most if not all their GIS benefits.”
The post What is the CPP enhancement? appeared first on MoneySense.
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Keph Senett
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Maybe that money is already spoken for. Many Canadians are struggling financially right now, so a bonus or salary increase might simply help cover the rising cost of living or create a bit of breathing room in your budget. But if you’re keeping up with monthly obligations like rent, mortgage payments, household bills and loans, you may have some flexibility in how you allocate those bonus bucks—including saving towards your financial goals.
“Year-end bonuses are very exciting and tempting,” says Reni Odetoyinbo, a financial influencer in Toronto who shares money tips on her site, Reni, The Resource. “I like to look at all my goals for the year and see if anything needs topping up to decide how I spend the bonus.” (Read her Q&A with MoneySense.)
Before you start divvying up your dollars: Know that bonuses are taxed like your other wages, so you may not receive as much as you think. Your employer will also deduct Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions and employment insurance (EI) premiums, unless you’ve reached your CPP and EI maximums for the year.
If you don’t need that bonus money right away, you could have your employer transfer it directly into your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), if you have RRSP contribution room. No federal or provincial taxes will be withheld.
“Of course, the RRSP money is likely going to be stored away for a longer term, so if you have some more immediate needs, these are important to consider,” says Odetoyinbo. On that note, below are five ideas for how to spend a work bonus, plus links to tips and resources for each one.
Most employees get their bonus in February, a detail that matters when it comes to filing your taxes. “Employment income—salary or bonus—is taxable when paid,” says Jason Heath, a Certified Financial Planner and MoneySense columnist. “So, a February 2024 bonus is taxable in 2024, even though it may be tied to 2023 performance by the employee or the company.”
This can create an unfortunate mismatch, Heath notes. “Asking your employer to deposit your bonus directly to your RRSP can result in your full pre-tax bonus being invested right away. But watch out. If you do this in the first 60 days of the year, you get to claim the deduction on your previous year’s tax return. But the bonus is taxable in the year that it is received. Unless you do this every year, you could end up with a tax refund one year, but a balance owing the next year.”
Using this year’s bonus as an example, Heath says that if you direct your February 2024 bonus into your RRSP pre-tax, you’ll get an RRSP receipt for 2023. This could result in a tax refund for 2023; however, the income will be taxable in 2024, with no tax withheld.
If you have high-interest debt on credit cards or a line of credit, paying it down with a lump sum could save you hundreds of dollars in interest payments, notes Odetoyinbo. “A payment to your 19.99% credit card debt is one of the best returns you can get.”
If you’re carrying a balance on one or more cards, use proven strategies to pay it down, such as switching to a low-interest credit card or balance transfer credit card—both can help slow the accumulation of interest. You could also explore consolidating your debt into a single payment plan.
Do you still have student debt hanging over your head? If you aren’t carrying any debts that charge higher interest (like credit card debt), consider putting your bonus toward your student loan. For the 2021–2022 academic year, the average Canada Student Loan balance at the time of leaving school was $15,578, according to Employment and Social Development Canada. It also notes that borrowers typically repay the money over nine and a half years—imagine slashing that by a year or two.
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Jaclyn Law
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First, there was the trend of “quiet quitting”: a disgruntled employee doing the bare minimum required for their role. Then there was “quiet firing”: an employer reducing a worker’s duties and training, subtly nudging them to quit. And then, in 2023, we saw the rise of “quiet hiring”: an employer looking to its existing employees to fill a skills gap or take on more responsibilities, rather than hiring someone new. Quiet hiring is typically a cost-cutting or cost-saving measure, but it can also be an opportunity for a staffer who wants to try something new, move up to a new role or stack their case to ask for a raise. Quiet hiring can also refer to outsourcing work to short-term contractors instead of hiring new workers. —Jaclyn Law
Facing high inflation, high interest rates, expensive housing and mounting debt, many young people are unsure if they’ll ever be able to retire. So, many Gen Zers are rejecting aggressive saving (see: the FIRE movement) and embracing “soft living”—prioritizing things like comfort, balance, personal growth and wellness. “Soft saving” is part of that. It’s a lower-stress approach to personal finance and investing that focuses on the present. That doesn’t mean Gen Z is spending recklessly—but some might see saving for retirement as more of a nice-to-have than a need. —J.L.
Is inflation dampening your social life? A November 2023 Ipsos poll found that the rising cost of living is causing “inflation isolation.” Half of Canadians are staying at home more often, and a third of us are socializing less to avoid spending money. As a result, 20% of us are feeling isolated. Pretty bleak, right? Plus, those of us who are struggling with debt are more likely to feel stress and anxiety, as well as cut back on seeing friends and family. If you’re experiencing feelings of anxiety, stress or depression, read our guide to finding free and low-cost mental health resources in Canada. —Margaret Montgomery
When I first saw this term in a recent Wealthsimple newsletter, I couldn’t help but laugh… and then I wanted to cry. “Nepo baby” refers to the child of a celebrity who has benefited from their parent’s success, wealth and name recognition. A nepo home buyer in Canada is someone whose parents already own a home and can help their kids afford a down payment for a home, according to some sources. Statistics Canada reports that “in 2021, the adult children (millennial and Generation Z tax filers born in the 1990s) of homeowners were twice as likely to own a home as those of non-homeowners.” Adult children whose parents owned multiple properties were three times as likely to own a home than those whose parents were non-home owners. —M.M.
Move over, minimalism—recession core is here. Yep, that’s right, there’s a whole aesthetic inspired by living in a recession. Basically, this means going back to simpler styles and using items already in your wardrobe. Look, I get it. Minimalism might actually require you to spend lots of money on “clean” and refined-looking items, so that’s out of the question for many right now. Instead, many of us are looking for greater value when we shop—a habit that could pay off even after the economy improves. —M.M.
We can think of several more financial buzzwords that were popular this year, from “tip-flation” to “funflation.” Will they still be talked about in 2024, or will they go the way of “YOLO,” “the new normal” and “The Great Resignation”? Only time will tell. We want to know which trendy money words you love and hate. Share your picks in the comments below, and then boost your financial vocabulary by checking out the MoneySense Glossary.
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Margaret Montgomery
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APA!’s National Shelter Support team was working at a partner shelter location when they first laid eyes on sweet Darla. With legs too scared to walk, the 8-month old Golden Retriever was being taken to the euthanasia room in a wheelbarrow when a member of our team intervened.
Jordana Moerbe urgently shared Darla’s story with rescue partners throughout the country in hopes of getting a shelter to accept her into their care; a “yes” from a shelter would mean a ticket onto the upcoming lifesaving transport flight.
“We had to pull her, we had to save her,” Moerbe said. “We hope that she’s able to come out of her shell and be the happy puppy she deserves to be. It’s what every one of the pets in the shelter deserves, and that’s what we’re working so hard for.”
Mile High Lab Rescue in Denver accepted her into their care and when this deserving dog landed in July of 2023, she went straight into a loving foster home, where she was given the time and space to gain confidence to become a wiggly puppy.
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Working-from-home caps will be scrapped for thousands of Australian public sector workers — but business lobbyists in one capital city say any such moves at local level would be a “death knell” for CBD retail.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) yesterday announced it had struck a deal with the Australian Public Service Commission for more flexible working arrangements.
The deal includes an agreement to remove caps on the number of days staff can work from home, allowing them to stay at home permanently unless there were “clear business reasons” to refuse a request.
“Federal public servants can make a request to work from home,” CPSU National Secretary Melissa Donnelly told ABC Radio Perth.
“There are limited circumstances [where] it can be refused, but there’s a bias towards ‘yes’, and there are no caps.
“Some companies, some government agencies, have just come up with arbitrary rules about the number of days in the office and the number of days working from home, and this deal gets rid of those caps as well.”
The CPSU has more than 120,000 members across Australia and has described the deal as a “groundbreaking” one that would “open doors for individuals…
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MMP News Author
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Oct. 24, 2022 – As a leading disability insurance attorney in the U.S., Frank Darras has seen firsthand the impact long COVID has had on employees and the challenges they face navigating not only the disease itself, but also the workplace.
Through referrals that come in from across the country, Darras says he has a real-time view of the pandemic and the enormous obstacles employees with long COVID face trying to explain and prove their condition.
“It’s terrifying to be suffering from a disease and a problem that there’s no cure for yet,” says Darras, a founding partner of law firm DarrasLaw in Ontario, CA. “And having your job and your family’s financial future hanging in the balance … is horrific for the employee.”
Already, experts are predicting that the economic fallout and ripple effect of long COVID could be in the trillions of dollars.
“It’s a very significant fraction of the total workforce … in a tight labor market environment as we’re in, it’s a really important factor,” says Matt Craven, MD, a partner with consulting firm McKinsey & Co., and author of an upcoming report that estimates that acute and long COVID will cost the U.S. economy a billion productive days in 2022.
Meanwhile, there is still much about long COVID that remains unclear. The CDC describes it as a “wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems” that happen at least 4 weeks after infection. In one recent large study involving 100,000 people in Scotland, one in 20 COVID patients said they had not recovered “at all” more than half a year after the start of their infection, while about 40% reported being “only partially recovered.”
“Long COVID is a term that we use a lot, but it’s really not well-defined, because different people have been impacted by COVID in very different ways,” says Cheryl Bates-Harris, the senior disability advocacy specialist with the National Disability Rights Network.
Engaging and Accommodating Employees
Employees with long COVID generally fall into two categories: those with debilitating, long-term symptoms that prevent them from working altogether and those with milder to moderate symptoms that allow them to remain productive with the right workplace accommodations.
Employees may not realize they can ask for accommodations, experts say, while inexperienced employers may not know how to help, or what to do with an employee who suddenly may only be able to function at 50% capacity.
“In a situation where many industries are labor-constrained right now, the importance of maintaining the long-term employer-employee relationship is greater than ever before,” says Craven, who leads McKinsey’s public health response to COVID-19. “What flexibility are they able to offer so that they’re not permanently losing a worker who could be a great asset for them over the longer term?”
For employees with mild to moderate long COVID symptoms, employers should provide a safe and supportive environment to openly discuss how they can help, advocates say. It is also important to be educated about long COVID.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers are expected to make “reasonable accommodations” for people with a disability, but advocates encourage employers to set a positive example by having these conversations and listening to their employee’s needs regardless of their status under the Disabilities Act.
“You would hate to throw away years of work experience and years of training that’s gone into that person, simply because there’s a part of their job they can’t do or they’re now experiencing health impairments,” Bates-Harris says.
If an employee cannot walk long distances because they become out of breath easily or tire quickly, employers can offer telework as an option where feasible, allowing an employee to work from home, experts suggest. They can make sure the employee is equipped at home with the devices and tools they need to do their job well.
If an employee’s job does not allow them to work from home, an employer can reduce their physical exertion, make sure they are given enough or extra rest breaks, or give them more time to use inhalers and nebulizers for shortness of breath, for example. They can also provide individual mobility devices, like electric scooters, so that an employee can move around without exhausting themselves, says Bates-Harris.
Those who have brain fog may prefer a quieter workspace. There are also apps that can help, including ones that can help workers keep track of tasks and stay organized. Employers can also provide a shorter workday or set a more flexible work schedule, while maintaining employees’ full-time status.
“I don’t care if my people come in at 4 in the morning and work till 10 a.m.,” Darras says. “Whatever kind of flexible schedule works for them, I want to make sure that I’m flexible in making my premises accessible.”
A collaborative workplace environment and using shared tools and documents can help lessen interruptions if an employee is sick or absent. Zoom meetings that are recorded can also help employees catch up and stay connected. An employee may request different responsibilities and tasks more suited to their health condition.
As an employer himself, Darras has tried to make these accommodations, saying it’s a chance for employers to figure out how to keep staff happy.
A Legal Right to Go on Leave
Ultimately, long COVID requires employers to be more flexible, experts say. If a worker is exhausted from an intense week, they may need to take time off to recover or attend medical appointments. Bates noted that one of the biggest complaints her organization gets are calls regarding time off and attendance.
While every case is different, in the U.S., the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act grant many workers a number of protected rights, including unpaid sick leave. Those working for a company with 50 or more employees or for a government or public entity for at least 1,250 hours over the course of 12 months may qualify for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for family and medical reasons.
The Leave Act protects an employee from being fired for going on extended leave and requires employers to continue their group health benefits during that period of absence.
If people have long COVID symptoms so severe that they can’t work at all, they may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, advocates say. But they caution that the process to qualify may not be quick or easy, and is compounded by the fact that many with long COVID can’t work due to extreme fatigue and brain fog, making the physical process of applying even more daunting.
Re-Evaluating Workplace Policies
As many pandemic-related costs shift away from the government back to individuals and the private sector, employers will need to decide what kind of workplace benefits and health coverage they offer, says Pooja Kumar, MD, a senior partner with McKinsey who leads the firm’s work on U.S. public health.
“What do their benefits structures look like? How matched are they to the known impact from long COVID?” she says, adding that it is not just about benefits and accommodations. “How do you actually continue to motivate a workforce when people are functioning at 80% because of physiological reasons?”
Darras says employers should also have a COVID-19 safety plan and make sure the company’s short- and long-term disability insurance benefits do not have limits on self-reported conditions – symptoms such as pain and chronic fatigue that are difficult to verify using medical tests but that are common among long COVID patients. It is something he has done at his own firm, and he suggests employers ask for guidance from a regional office for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration if necessary.
Part-time employees should not be forgotten either, advocates say. Employers can consider what they can do to help part-time staff meet the requirements to make them eligible for disability insurance.
While many of these accommodations may cost money, advocates stress the long-term benefits.
“The institutional knowledge and experience that current employees have far outweighs anything they’re going to get by hiring a new person off the street and training,” Bates-Harris says. “Employers who have experience hiring people with disabilities learned long ago that the cost of accommodating an employee far outweighs the cost of hiring new employees.”
With less than 3 years of information on COVID-19, Craven also stresses the importance of being agile. “Create policies now but revisit them over time based on new information, how people are using them, how they’re working for employees, how they’re working for employers,” he says.
“Version one doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Resources for Employers
Employers can also reach out to the Job Accommodation Network, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. It is a leading source of free, expert, and confidential advice for issues including workplace accommodations and disability employment.
It’s a resource many employers are unaware of, Bates-Harris says, and is “designed to keep people on the job and to allow employers to retain long-term employees.”
Employers can also consult the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that deals with employment discrimination, or the Department of Labor website to learn more about their legal obligations.
“Frankly, as an employer, I’m responsible for [my employees], so I’ve looked at it and said, “It’s just an investment in my people,’” says Darras, who has a large percentage of staff who have been with the firm for more than 20 years.
“I want people to retire with me. … I want them to be healthy and thrive.”
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