Lesson 14 — Activity 3: More Rules and Regulations for Working Conditions

In this activity, you will learn about more rules and regulations for when you are working.

     

1. Employees under 18 Years of Age

Employees under 18 years of age are divided into two categories:

12 – 14 year olds

and

15 – 17 year olds

Alberta has specific laws to protect "adolescent" (12 – 14 years old) workers and "young" (15 – 17 years old) workers. Adolescents have many restrictions. Most importantly, they must be supervised by an adult and have parental or guardian consent. They can perform some jobs but not for more than two hours on school days. Young people can work at any job, although some jobs, such as working in a hotel, require adult supervision during certain hours.

Children younger than 12 years old are not allowed to have regular jobs (except under very special conditions). However, they can do odd jobs like shoveling snow, babysitting, and cutting grass.

2. Maternity and Parental Leave

Maternity leave is time that a mother can take off work just before and after she has a baby. Parental leave is time that either parent, mother or father, can take off after the birth of their baby or when they adopt a child. In order to qualify for this leave, the employee must have worked at his or her job, either full time or part time, for at least a year.

3. Workplace Hazards

A workplace hazard is a situation or a condition that may put the safety or health of workers at risk. Hazards can be obvious, such as machinery that is dangerous, or even a puddle of oil on the floor of a shop. Hazards can also be not so obvious, such as sitting in awkward positions for long periods of time or garbage or clutter in the workplace. Hazards can cause slips, trips, and falls. They can also involve tools, machinery, lifting, and the use of chemicals.

Pixabay

Health and safety on the job is important in every workplace. Certain jobs require special training approved by the Government of Alberta. These approved training courses are: asbestos worker training, audio metric technician training, emergency mine rescue, explosives safety training and blaster's permit, first aid training, and pulmonary function training. Whether your job requires approved training or not, employers must ensure that workers are adequately trained and able to perform their work.

Digging Deeper!