Free menstrual products will be available at federal workplaces later this year – National | 24CA News
Employees in federally regulated workplaces will start to have free entry to menstrual merchandise later this 12 months.
The federal authorities made the announcement Wednesday, saying beginning Dec. 15, 2023, employers will likely be required to make menstrual merchandise obtainable without charge to public servants.
This means placing pads and tampons in washrooms or different locations in order that any employee who wants them whereas on the job has entry, Employment and Social Development Canada mentioned in a news launch.
“Tampons and pads are basic necessities. So we’re making sure they’re provided to workers at no cost, because it’ll make for healthier and safer workplaces,” Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. mentioned in an announcement with the discharge.
Employers may have flexibility on how they implement the brand new guidelines.
A pilot mission will roll out within the coming months and steerage materials will likely be developed in session with employers and made obtainable on-line previous to the principles coming into impact, the federal government mentioned.
This comes after the Liberal authorities created a public session course of in 2019 on offering menstrual merchandise in federally regulated workplaces that got here to an in depth in September 2021.
The Liberals pledged to offer free tampons and pads in federally regulated workplaces of their 2021 election marketing campaign.
The modifications would apply to just about 1.3 million staff within the federal labour drive, a bunch that features banks, telecommunications and transport staff and makes up about eight per cent of the nation’s staff.
Of these staff, the principles would have an effect on about 35 per of them — or about 455,000 staff, the federal government says.
The initiative is a part of Ottawa’s push to enhance fairness, scale back stigma round durations and make workplaces extra inclusive.
The federal authorities eliminated the Goods and Services Tax from menstrual merchandise in 2015 — also referred to as the “pink tax” — and different jurisdictions in Canada and the United States have adopted swimsuit.
At the identical time, there was a rising motion to offer free female hygiene merchandise on campuses and in faculties.
The price of menstrual merchandise varies considerably throughout the nation.
A 40-pack of tampons in northern and distant communities can price upwards of $15.
— with information from The Canadian Press
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