Introduction
Standard Employment Relationship (SER) involves the relationship between employers and employees and can influence employment nature. SER has also been used to ensure that workers can work full-time and enjoy extensive statutory benefits and entitlements. Many companies in different countries have used SER to guarantee that laborers and owners work as a team to reach their goals. For instance, SER in Canada has played a significant role in developing the relationship between workers and managers. SER has also been of great significance in Canadian organizations since it ensures that individuals’ employment continues for an unfixed period. Therefore, people can focus on the various roles of SER in the Canadian economy. COVID-19 has also led to changes in many Canadian companies, whereby the virus has impacted all people. Thus, one can focus on the pandemic’s effects and how it has revealed the importance of foreign laborers and women in Canadian organizations.
The Role of SER in the Canadian Economy
The historical and contemporary relevance of SER can be analyzed to determine how SER has impacted the Canadian economy. Canadian labor law was developed to ensure that individuals’ working conditions are improved, and workers can contribute to the fiscal growth (Bernhardt, 2015). Moreover, the policies ensured that SER was the strategy considered to enable workers to benefit from labor-related law. The rise of SER in Canada was designed as a normative employment model where labor legislation was implemented after World War II (Bernhardt, 2015). Compensatory social policies were also introduced to ensure that workers received their pensions and extended medical coverage (Bernhardt, 2015). The issue of gender was also introduced in SER to enable females to access various jobs. For instance, the women’s substandard wages were addressed after World War I, whereby minimum wage legislation was enacted to guarantee that both men and women received equal wages (Bernhardt, 2015). Therefore, SER is a historical aspect that was introduced in Canada to improve the country’s economy.
SER has also been exercised in the contemporary world, and Canada has implemented various policies to ensure that growth and development are achieved. For instance, employers have been encouraged to focus on business ethics when engaging in different practices. Workers’ satisfaction has been considered one of the essential issues that all organizations should practice. Moreover, the Canadian government has focused on employees’ safety, whereby managers must ensure that the working environment is conducive for the workers. Gender equality is another issue that institutions should exercise in Canada. Meeting the employer’s needs is also encouraged, and staff has to utilize the available resources to ensure that they are productive. Therefore, these issues involving SER are being exercised in Canada to improve the Canadian economy’s production and growth.
How SER Relates to the Exclusion of Certain Groups from the Core of the Workforce
SER also relates to the exclusion of certain groups from the core of the workforce in Canada. The world is diverse, and people are from different races. Therefore, race is one of the factors involved in the Canadian workforce. Moreover, there is a social hierarchy of race in Canada, whereby many Canadians have grouped people depending on their racial origins (Fudge & Vosko, 2001). For instance, some Canadians believe that specific groups are socially desirable while others are not. Therefore, race can lead to many people experiencing challenges when seeking job opportunities in organizations. Workers in some companies are also racially discriminated against, impacting their performance in these firms. The hierarchy of race within Canada privileges people of European origin with White physical racial characteristics and disadvantages non-Whites (Fudge & Vosko, 2001). Historically within Canada, people of color have been deemed low market value, making them encounter barriers to full-time, stable employment (Fudge & Vosko, 2001). Thus, SER can address these issues and ensure that an excellent relationship between employees and employers is maintained regardless of their racial differences.
Gender inequality is another factor that can be addressed using SER. Societies have developed a culture that views women as inferior to men. Therefore, females are less likely to work in some positions in companies than men. In many cases, women are denied the chance to join some corporations despite having the qualifications. Thus, SER is vital since it ensures that all workers can enjoy the entitlements in their businesses. Additionally, SER is vital since it does not limit women and their employees’ relationships, giving females a chance to acquire full-time employment. Canadian policymakers focused on market-based economic stability to ensure that all individuals can join the workforce in different organizations (Bernhardt, 2015). The Canadian welfare state has also led to positive changes since women and other marginalized groups have acquired full-time jobs in companies. Disrupting the racial and gender inequalities of the Canadian welfare state has been encouraged using SER, whereby employers have been encouraged to focus on individuals’ capabilities instead of their origin and sex.
Immigration has also increased in the modern world due to globalization. Therefore, some of the laborers in various countries are foreigners. Nonetheless, immigrants face challenges when obtaining full-time jobs in these nations (Hira-Friesen, 2018). For instance, some companies in Canada discriminate against foreign workers during their recruitment process. Consequently, the Canadian government can focus on SER to ensure that employers value these individuals and develop an excellent relationships to contribute to economic development and growth. Furthermore, some of these people are skilled and can improve organizations’ performance, which is essential to Canada’s financial status. Thus, SER is a significant factor that can be used to improve the Canadian workforce by limiting discrimination experienced by marginalized groups in the country.
How the Pandemic has Brought to Light some of the Inequalities that Characterize our Segmented Workforce
The current COVID-19 pandemic has largely impacted countries globally. The economic crisis has been experienced in different states due to a decline in business practices. The movement of people is one of the issues addressed to curb the spread of the virus. Thus, companies have recorded a decrease in the number of customers and sales. Many pandemic-related jobs have experienced low profits. Additionally, women are the hardest hit by this virus as they are in some occupations. For instance, many women work in the hospitality industry, one of the sectors that have primarily been affected by the virus.
Additionally, Filipino women who work as caregivers and in nursing homes have been impacted by the pandemic. Meat-packing plants in Canada have many immigrant workers who have also been affected by COVID-19 (McEwan et al., 2020). Therefore, the pandemic has revealed that it is vital to curb gender inequality in the workforce since all people contribute to different companies’ tasks. For instance, the virus shows that women play a significant role in nursing homes and are on the front lines of ensuring that Canadians are healthy. The pandemic has also revealed that many foreigners work in various sectors and help Canadian citizens in different ways. The immigrants in the meat-processing companies and Filipino women working in healthcare facilities show that foreigners should also be given the opportunities to work in Canadian organizations (Montayre et al., 2018). Therefore, one can argue that the pandemic has exposed some of the inequalities that characterize Canada’s segmented workforce.
How the Pandemic will Bring about the Change Necessary to Foster an Equal Workforce
The pandemic will bring about the change necessary to foster an equal workforce since people have learned about valuing all individuals. For instance, the pandemic reveals that companies do not only benefit from men since women workers also play a significant role by providing various services. Furthermore, gender should not determine whether an individual should be hired or not since some females have better skills than males in different careers. The pandemic shows that everyone has a role to play in society, and everyone should be valued. Thus, gender inequality should be curbed, and all individuals should be given the opportunities to work in various companies and community programs (Coe et al., 2019). Many people have discriminated against people of color and immigrants in Canada. Nonetheless, the virus has changed many people’s perspectives, whereby they have learned that all individuals are significant and should be respected irrespective of their origin or race. Therefore, the pandemic will lead to vital changes that will foster an equal workforce.
Conclusion
To conclude, SER is vital and should be considered when focusing on the Canadian economy. Employers and employees should have a good relationship that can enable them to reach their companies’ objectives. Moreover, SER involves bonuses and promotions that can motivate workers to work harder and increase the company’s output. Policies should also be used to ensure that employees and workers exercise various ethical considerations. The current pandemic has also influenced business globally and has revealed the importance of valuing all workers. For instance, people have learned the significance of appreciating foreign laborers and women in organizations. Canadians can also learn that all people have a vital role in the community irrespective of their gender and origin. Companies will also learn the importance of creating a good relationship with all workers from different races. Thus, multiple issues involving SER and the impacts of COVID-19 show that the workforce is significant and can develop the Canadian economy.
References
Bernhardt, N. S. (2015). Racialized precarious employment and the inadequacies of the Canadian welfare state. Sage Open, 5(2), 1-13. Web.
Coe, I. R., Wiley, R., & Bekker, L. G. (2019). Organizational best practices towards gender equality in science and medicine. The Lancet, 393(10171), 587-593. Web.
Fudge, J., & Vosko, L. F. (2001). Gender, segmentation, and the standard employment relationship in Canadian labor law, legislation, and policy. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 22(2), 271-310. Web.
Hira-Friesen, P. (2018). Immigrants and precarious work in Canada: Trends, 2006–2012. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 19(1), 35-57. Web.
McEwan, K., Marchand, L., Shang, M., & Bucknell, D. (2020). Potential implications of COVID‐19 on the Canadian pork industry. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue Canadienne D’agroeconomie, 68(2), 201-206. Web.
Montayre, J., Montayre, J., & Holroyd, E. (2018). The global Filipino nurse: An integrative review of Filipino nurses’ work experiences. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(4), 338-347. Web.