If you have any problem with your employer, or any legal problem, contact PINAY Quebec
514- 364-9833. email info@pinayquebec.org
Handbook for Live In-caregivers in Quebec
Introduction
The purpose of this booklet is to provide people working under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) in Québec with information about their rights. Workers under this program complete 24 months of live-in domestic work over the course of 4 years, after which they may apply for permanent residency.
The LCP is run by the Canadian federal government, through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRDSC), but labour laws and health insurance are run by provincial governments. So, while this guide has some information relevant to all LCP workers, the majority of information is specific to people working in Québec. The Resources section is specific to Montreal.
As of April 1st 2010, several changes have been made to the LCP. These changes include: the elimination of the second medical exam; the extension of the time during which a caregiver can complete the required 24 months from 3 years to 4; the addition of the requirement that employers provide health and employment insurance for caregivers, and pay for their travel and recruitment costs. While these are all positive changes that will assist caregivers in the short-term, they don’t get to the root of the problem. A caregiver’s prospects of getting permanent residency depend upon their ability to complete the required 24 months within four years – this means that they have a disincentive to report instances of abuse or to leave their employer, since these actions can result in lengthy delays while finding a new employer and applying for a new work permit. Further, the live-in requirement puts caregivers in a particularly vulnerable position and blurs the line between home and work, meaning that caregivers often work overtime hours for which they are not remunerated.
This booklet was compiled for PINAY, a Filipino Women’s Organization that works in Montreal and Québec to empower and organize Filipino women, particularly Filipino domestic workers. Most PINAY members are migrant workers under the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP). For 18 years Pinay has brought together domestic workers and their supporters together in the struggle for basic rights and welfare. If you are a caregiver looking for support, or if you wish to get involved with PINAY’s organizing, you can contact them by sending an email to info@pinayquebec.org or by calling them at 514- 364-9833.
You may also wish to refer to the Immigrant Worker’s Centre (IWC) if you are looking for support or more information about your rights as a Live-in Caregiver. The IWC is an education and campaign centre for immigrant workers in Montreal. Please see their contact information in the Resources section.
Throughout this booklet we’ll be referring to a range of organizations – let’s break down their acronyms:
CAQ- Québec Acceptance Certificate
CIC – Citizenship and Immigration Canada
CSST - Commission de la Santé et de la Sécurité du Travail du Québec, also known as Worker’s Compensation
EI – Employment Insurance
HRSDC – Human Resources and Skills Development Canada IWC – Immigrant Worker’s Centre
LCP - Live-in Caregiver Program LMO – Labour Market Opinion
MICC – Ministère de l’immigration et des Communautés culturelles PINAY – Filipino Women’s Organization in Québec
RAMQ - Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec, the Québec Health Insurance Board ROE – Record of Employment
Placement Agencies
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is required to pay the full cost of your recruitment. If your employer has paid fees to a recruitment agency, they are not allowed to make you pay them back or deduct this money from your pay. If you were charged money by a recruitment agency, your employer has to pay you back for these fees (make sure to keep written proof of any payments you have made).
Case Study: Super Nanny and Mr. John Aurora
Recently, PINAY filed a complaint with the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse about Mr. John Aurora who runs the recruitment company Super Nanny. Mr. Aurora’s company has a history of signing employment contracts with caregivers based on false and fraudulent information. When these caregivers arrived in Canada, they found themselves without an employer and were told that they would have to wait for a new employer to be found. During this waiting period, many of them ended up sleeping on the floor in a room next to Mr. Aurora’s office and doing work in the building for which they were not paid. Mr. Aurora also has a rooming house with 15 apartments in it. Since its operation, he rented rooms to Filipino women who were waiting for his agency to find them an employer and get them a work permit. He pressured them to sign a one-year lease, meaning that they would agree to pay him rent every month for a full year. He refused to give them a copy of the lease, which is illegal. Mr. Aurora then found an employer for each caregiver with whom they had to reside, even though they had already legally agreed to pay him rent for a full year! Around 30 women have passed through Mr. Aurora’s rooming house at a given time. Be aware of recruitment agencies such as JA Enterprise-Super Nanny; before signing a lease to live outside of an employer’s home, consult with PINAY or the Immigrant Worker’s Center (see Resources). They can provide you with useful support and advice in such a situation.
Travel Costs
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is required to pay your travel costs to your new place of work. These costs include the most convenient, cheapest and shortest form of transportation, but not meals or accommodation along the way. You should not pay these costs at any time, even with the promise of being paid back.
Employers
You do not need to ask permission from your employer to contact an association or government agency concerning your rights, or to file a complaint against them. You cannot legally be punished or deported for doing so.
It is illegal for your employer to withhold your legal documents (e.g. passport, work permit).
Changing employers
You are free to change employers for any reason. You can not be punished deported for doing so, but you will need to apply for a new work permit (at least 30 days before the expiry of your current permit) before beginning your new job. Working for someone without proper work document is considered illegal work, and could result in deportation.
If you want to quit your job, you need to give your employer written notice at least a week in advance, and you need to inform the Ministère de l’Immigration et Communautés culturelles.
In Québec, you must renew your Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) before applying for a new work permit.
To renew your CAQ, send the following documents to your new employer, who will forward them on to the Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC):
- the Live-in Caregiver contract of employment already filled out by your employer and signed by you;
-a copy of an approved Labour Market Opinion by Service Canada;
-a job offer letter from your new employer;
- the application for a Québec Acceptance Certificate for Temporary Work, completed and signed by you;
- 2x cheques of $175 each (from employer and employee) a fee levied to review the application;
- a copy of the last valid work permit;
- a copy of your last notice of assessment or your last tax information slip (T4), if applicable;
- a copy of your previous employer’s letter of release.
For more detailed information, see http://www.immigration/- Québec.gouv.qc.ca/en/immigrate-settle/temporary-workers/new- autorizations/extension/index.html.
When you receive your CAQ, you will then need to renew your work permit with Citizenship and Immigration Canada as soon as possible. This will cost $150.
From your original employer, you will need:
- a record of your overtime
- a Record of Employment (ROE)* which includes:
o your reason for leaving
o total hours worked
o gross earnings
o total amount paid and/or payable “at the time of leaving”
* Only your employer can give you an ROE, but they are legally bound to do so. If you cannot get an ROE from your employer, contact an HRSDC/Service Canada office (see Resources) and they will force your employer to comply.
Make sure you get the ROE; you will need this record of your work to apply for permanent residence.
From your future employer, you will need:
- a Labour Market Opinion (LMO), which your employer must apply for through the HRSDC
- a contract signed by you and your future employer (for a Québec specific contract template, seehttp://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/questions- answers/lcp.shtml#Q01 ) *
* If your work permit will expire very soon and your new employer hasn’t yet sent you the documentation you need, you can send your application along with a letter of explanation at least 30 days before your work permit expires, to the Case Processing Centre (see Resources).
Send the above two documents along with your application. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/apply-how.asp for more detailed steps as to how to apply for a new permit or http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/apply- extend.asp for steps on how to extend your permit.
You can check the national Job Bank or your local HRSDC service center (see Resources) for postings about new jobs.
Losing Your Job and Employment Insurance
If your employer wants to fire you, they have to give you one week’s written notice if you’ve been working for less than a year, and two week’s notice if you’ve been working for 1-5 continuous years for them.
If you get fired from your job, you are entitled to collect Employment Insurance (EI). Bring your ROE to your local HRSDC center (see Resources) to apply for EI. If you don’t yet have your ROE, you can still apply for EI; your local HRSDC will contact your employer and force them to give you your ROE.
Abuse
If you are in an abusive situation, you should leave right away. For support in such a situation, contact PINAY (see Resources).
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, “abuse can take many forms. It can be assault, sexual assault or negligence. Each of these is a criminal act. It can be harassment, verbal mocking or behaviour toward you that is degrading or humiliating. Each of these is a human rights abuse. It can also be a threat, a lie or a false accusation by your employer meant to scare you into not complaining.”
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/work/caregiver-faq03.asp
Psychological Harassment
You are covered under the Act Respecting Labour Standards for psychological harassment on the job. Psychological harassment at work is defined as repeated conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures:
• that are hostile or unwanted;
• that affect the employee’s dignity or psychological or physical integrity;
• that make the work environment harmful.
It also can include sexual harassment at work and harassment based on race, colour, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, civil status, age, religion, political convictions, language, ethnic or national origin, social condition, or handicap.
If you feel like you are being psychologically harassed on the job, you can make a complaint to the Commission des normes du travail, but you will need to prove that the behaviour conforms with the above definition of psychological harassment. You will need to file this complaint within 90 days of the last incident.
Try to write down incidences of harassment – the CNT will probably want to know exactly what happened and when
For more information, see http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/en/plaintes-et- recours/psychological-harassment/index.html.
If you’re thinking about filing a complaint for psychological harassment, PINAY could be a good resource for you.
Living Conditions
All your meals should be provided free of charge.
The terms of your work permit require that you live in your employer’s house, but that your room should:
- be closed and have a lock for which you have a key (you should also have a key to your employer’s house);
- be furnished;
- have proper heating and ventilation;
- not have visible or structural damages.
If your living conditions do not meet these standards, you can file a complaint with the Commission des normes du travail.
PINAY is involved in a campaign to eliminate the live-in requirement for workers under the LCP. Get in touch with them for more information.
Payment
As of May 1, 2010, the minimum wage that your employer can pay you is $9.50 per hour. Seehttp://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/advertReq/wageadreq.shtml
#tphp for changes to the Québec minimum wage or for minimum wage rates in other provinces.
With every paycheque, your employer must give you a statement of earnings including how many hours you worked, the total amount paid to you, and the gross pay before any deductions. The amounts deducted, which include Employment Insurance and Québec Pension Plan payments, will also be shown.
Every year, your employer will file this information with the Canada Revenue Agency and you will receive a T4 slip by the end of February. T4 slips contain a record of your working history in Canada, and will help you to file your income taxes.
Overtime
Legally, you’re not supposed to work more than 40 hours per week, and you’re supposed to get 2 weeks of paid vacation per year. If you work more than 40 hours/week in Québec, your employer is obliged to pay you time and a half – that is, your wage plus a 50% increase (i.e. for a minimum wage of $9.50 / hr you should get $13.75 for overtime).
You can also ask your employer to give you a vacation instead of your overtime pay – this vacation can be the same number of overtime hours that you worked augmented by 50% (so, for example, if you worked 4 overtime days your vacation would be 6 days long). This vacation has to be taken in the 12 months following the overtime hours.
Time off
After working 5 consecutive hours, you have the right to a 30 minute unpaid meal break. If you’re not authorized to leave your place of work, then your break has to be paid.
Every week you are entitled to a break of 32 consecutive hours, although these hours do not have to fall on the weekend
You are free to choose how you spend your time off, and are not required to spend it in your employer’s home.
Any vacation time must be written into your employment contract.
Signing a Contract
Your contract is specific to your current employer. To change employers, you need a new contract.
Check to make sure your contract includes:
• Employer-paid transportation to the place of work in Canada;
• Employer-paid health insurance (RAMQ or equivalent);
• Employer-paid workplace safety insurance (CSST);
• Employer-paid recruitment fees;
• Contract length;
• Hours, including overtime;
• Duties of the position;
• People who will be cared for;
• Work schedule and wages;
• Accommodation provisions;
• Transportation costs;
• Provisions for resignation and dismissal.
If it does not include the above information, you can amend your contract with your employer. If you are having trouble doing this, contact the Minstère de l’immigration et des communautés culturelles.
Worker’s Compensation (CSST)
In past domestic workers could register themselves for provincial worker’s compensation, but as a result of changes made on April 1st 2010, your employer is now legally required to pay for you to have employment insurance, so that you will receive compensation if you get hurt on the job. This insurance must be equivalent to the provincial coverage that other workers receive.
Filing a Complaint
You can file a complaint with the Commission des normes du travail if you believe that:
- your employer has not fully paid you;
- you were unjustly fired or otherwise punished;
- you have experienced psychological harassment.
For steps on how to file a complaint, see http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/en/on-line- services/plaintes-en-ligne/index.html?no_cache=1.
Healthcare
Upon arrival in Canada, you can apply to be covered under provincial health insurance, but it can take up to 3 months before you receive your Medicare card. This waiting period is also called the “delai de carence”.
See http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citoyens/assurancemaladie/arriver/sejour.shtml for steps on how to get coverage. You cannot register on the internet, but see the above website before going to a RAMQ office to see a list of documents you need to bring.
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is responsible for providing you with private health insurance equal to the provincial coverage for the waiting period. Your employer cannot deduct money from your wages for this.
Provincial health insurance covers any “medically necessary” procedure to anyone with a valid Health Insurance Card. This includes things such as a consultation with a doctor, who may refer you to another medically necessary service or prescribe medication. In some cases, different services are covered for children under 12 and adults over 65.
For a specific list of what is and is not covered in Québec, see the Régie de l’assurance maladie website:http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citoyens/assurancemaladie/serv_couv_queb/serv_couv_q ueb.shtml.
There shouldn’t be any gaps in your health coverage (between employer-paid private insurance in the waiting period and RAMQ insurance). But, if for any reason there are,
some services are available for anyone waiting for their coverage to begin. Make sure to bring documentation that you are in the waiting period. These include services:
- needed by people who have experienced conjugal or domestic violence or sexual assault;
- related to pregnancy, child birth, or termination of pregnancy;
- needed by people with infectious diseases that effect public health.
To remain covered by Québec health insurance, you must not leave the province for over 21 consecutive days while you have temporary worker status.
Applying for permanent residence
You can apply for permanent residence in Canada, after completing the following work under the Live-in Caregiver Program within 4 years of your arrival:
- 24 months of authorized full-time work, or
- 3,900 hours of authorized full-time employment within a minimum of 22 months.
You can include up to 390 hours of overtime.
Periods of unemployment, extended periods outside of Canada (that are not included in your employment contract), or any work for your employer that takes place outside of Canada cannot be included in the above work experience.
To apply for permanent residence, your work permit must still be valid.
To stay in Québec, you must submit an application to both the Minstère de l’immigration et des communautés culturelles, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. See http://www.immigration-Québec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/immigrer-installer/travailleurs- temporaires/demeurer-Québec/index.html for steps on how to apply (available only in French).
As of April 1, 2010, you no longer have to undergo a second medical exam to apply for permanent residence.
Your family members can apply for permanent residence at the same as you. Important: any family members you plan on sponsoring later must be listed in your application for permanent residence.
You can also apply for an open work permit, which will allow you to take any job you wish, at the same time as you apply for permanent residence.
It can affect your application if:
- you, your spouse or common-law partner, or any of your family members have a criminal record or a serious medical problem, or;
- you did not provide truthful information about education, training or experience to the visa officer when you first applied under the Live-In Caregiver Program, your application can be cancelled.
Your application is not affected by your financial situation, skills upgrading in Canada, volunteer work, marital status or the number of family members you have in your home country.
Resources
We’ve included a lot of “further reading” through internet websites: if you need to use a computer with internet, you can go to a public library. There are several libraries around Montreal, including one located at 5290, chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges.
Immigrant Worker’s Centre
(an education and campaign centre for immigrant workers in Montréal)
http://iwc-cti.ca/
4755 Van Horne Suite 110
514-342-2111
iwc_cti@yahoo.com
If you have any problem with your employer, or if you have any legal problems -- contact PINAY Quebec https://www.facebook.com/pinayquebec
Association des Aides Familiales du Québec
(a group that does advocacy work for domestic workers)
20,De Maisonnueve West, Montreal H2X 1Z3
(514)272-2670
http://www.aafq.ca/ aafq@aafq.ca
Case Processing Centre
Unit 202 Vegreville, Alberta T9C 1X5
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/index.asp
Commission des normes du travail (CNT)
http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/
500, boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest 26th floor
Montréal
514 873-7061
1 800 265-1414
Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec (CSST)
http://www.csst.qc.ca/index.htm
1, complexe Desjardins South Tower, 31st floor 1 866 302-CSST (2778)
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Service Center
In Montreal there are several, two of them are located at: 1415 Jarry Street East
200 René-Lévesque Blvd West
To find others, see http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/hr-search.cgi?ot&ln=eng
National Job Bank
http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/Intro_eng.aspx
PINAY
info@pinayquebec.org
514-364-9833.
Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/index_en.shtml 425, boulevard De Maisonneuve Ouest
3rd floor, suite 300 Montréal
514 864-3411
Elsewhere in Québec,
If you have any problem with your employer, or any legal problem, contact PINAY Quebec
514- 364-9833. email info@pinayquebec.org
Handbook for Live In-caregivers in Quebec
Introduction
The purpose of this booklet is to provide people working under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) in Québec with information about their rights. Workers under this program complete 24 months of live-in domestic work over the course of 4 years, after which they may apply for permanent residency.
The LCP is run by the Canadian federal government, through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRDSC), but labour laws and health insurance are run by provincial governments. So, while this guide has some information relevant to all LCP workers, the majority of information is specific to people working in Québec. The Resources section is specific to Montreal.
As of April 1st 2010, several changes have been made to the LCP. These changes include: the elimination of the second medical exam; the extension of the time during which a caregiver can complete the required 24 months from 3 years to 4; the addition of the requirement that employers provide health and employment insurance for caregivers, and pay for their travel and recruitment costs. While these are all positive changes that will assist caregivers in the short-term, they don’t get to the root of the problem. A caregiver’s prospects of getting permanent residency depend upon their ability to complete the required 24 months within four years – this means that they have a disincentive to report instances of abuse or to leave their employer, since these actions can result in lengthy delays while finding a new employer and applying for a new work permit. Further, the live-in requirement puts caregivers in a particularly vulnerable position and blurs the line between home and work, meaning that caregivers often work overtime hours for which they are not remunerated.
This booklet was compiled for PINAY, a Filipino Women’s Organization that works in Montreal and Québec to empower and organize Filipino women, particularly Filipino domestic workers. Most PINAY members are migrant workers under the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP). For 18 years Pinay has brought together domestic workers and their supporters together in the struggle for basic rights and welfare. If you are a caregiver looking for support, or if you wish to get involved with PINAY’s organizing, you can contact them by sending an email to info@pinayquebec.org or by calling them at 514- 364-9833.
You may also wish to refer to the Immigrant Worker’s Centre (IWC) if you are looking for support or more information about your rights as a Live-in Caregiver. The IWC is an education and campaign centre for immigrant workers in Montreal. Please see their contact information in the Resources section.
Throughout this booklet we’ll be referring to a range of organizations – let’s break down their acronyms:
CAQ- Québec Acceptance Certificate
CIC – Citizenship and Immigration Canada
CSST - Commission de la Santé et de la Sécurité du Travail du Québec, also known as Worker’s Compensation
EI – Employment Insurance
HRSDC – Human Resources and Skills Development Canada IWC – Immigrant Worker’s Centre
LCP - Live-in Caregiver Program LMO – Labour Market Opinion
MICC – Ministère de l’immigration et des Communautés culturelles PINAY – Filipino Women’s Organization in Québec
RAMQ - Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec, the Québec Health Insurance Board ROE – Record of Employment
Placement Agencies
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is required to pay the full cost of your recruitment. If your employer has paid fees to a recruitment agency, they are not allowed to make you pay them back or deduct this money from your pay. If you were charged money by a recruitment agency, your employer has to pay you back for these fees (make sure to keep written proof of any payments you have made).
Case Study: Super Nanny and Mr. John Aurora
Recently, PINAY filed a complaint with the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse about Mr. John Aurora who runs the recruitment company Super Nanny. Mr. Aurora’s company has a history of signing employment contracts with caregivers based on false and fraudulent information. When these caregivers arrived in Canada, they found themselves without an employer and were told that they would have to wait for a new employer to be found. During this waiting period, many of them ended up sleeping on the floor in a room next to Mr. Aurora’s office and doing work in the building for which they were not paid. Mr. Aurora also has a rooming house with 15 apartments in it. Since its operation, he rented rooms to Filipino women who were waiting for his agency to find them an employer and get them a work permit. He pressured them to sign a one-year lease, meaning that they would agree to pay him rent every month for a full year. He refused to give them a copy of the lease, which is illegal. Mr. Aurora then found an employer for each caregiver with whom they had to reside, even though they had already legally agreed to pay him rent for a full year! Around 30 women have passed through Mr. Aurora’s rooming house at a given time. Be aware of recruitment agencies such as JA Enterprise-Super Nanny; before signing a lease to live outside of an employer’s home, consult with PINAY or the Immigrant Worker’s Center (see Resources). They can provide you with useful support and advice in such a situation.
Travel Costs
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is required to pay your travel costs to your new place of work. These costs include the most convenient, cheapest and shortest form of transportation, but not meals or accommodation along the way. You should not pay these costs at any time, even with the promise of being paid back.
Employers
You do not need to ask permission from your employer to contact an association or government agency concerning your rights, or to file a complaint against them. You cannot legally be punished or deported for doing so.
It is illegal for your employer to withhold your legal documents (e.g. passport, work permit).
Changing employers
You are free to change employers for any reason. You can not be punished deported for doing so, but you will need to apply for a new work permit (at least 30 days before the expiry of your current permit) before beginning your new job. Working for someone without proper work document is considered illegal work, and could result in deportation.
If you want to quit your job, you need to give your employer written notice at least a week in advance, and you need to inform the Ministère de l’Immigration et Communautés culturelles.
In Québec, you must renew your Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) before applying for a new work permit.
To renew your CAQ, send the following documents to your new employer, who will forward them on to the Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC):
- the Live-in Caregiver contract of employment already filled out by your employer and signed by you;
-a copy of an approved Labour Market Opinion by Service Canada;
-a job offer letter from your new employer;
- the application for a Québec Acceptance Certificate for Temporary Work, completed and signed by you;
- 2x cheques of $175 each (from employer and employee) a fee levied to review the application;
- a copy of the last valid work permit;
- a copy of your last notice of assessment or your last tax information slip (T4), if applicable;
- a copy of your previous employer’s letter of release.
For more detailed information, see http://www.immigration/- Québec.gouv.qc.ca/en/immigrate-settle/temporary-workers/new- autorizations/extension/index.html.
When you receive your CAQ, you will then need to renew your work permit with Citizenship and Immigration Canada as soon as possible. This will cost $150.
From your original employer, you will need:
- a record of your overtime
- a Record of Employment (ROE)* which includes:
o your reason for leaving
o total hours worked
o gross earnings
o total amount paid and/or payable “at the time of leaving”
* Only your employer can give you an ROE, but they are legally bound to do so. If you cannot get an ROE from your employer, contact an HRSDC/Service Canada office (see Resources) and they will force your employer to comply.
Make sure you get the ROE; you will need this record of your work to apply for permanent residence.
From your future employer, you will need:
- a Labour Market Opinion (LMO), which your employer must apply for through the HRSDC
- a contract signed by you and your future employer (for a Québec specific contract template, seehttp://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/questions- answers/lcp.shtml#Q01 ) *
* If your work permit will expire very soon and your new employer hasn’t yet sent you the documentation you need, you can send your application along with a letter of explanation at least 30 days before your work permit expires, to the Case Processing Centre (see Resources).
Send the above two documents along with your application. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/apply-how.asp for more detailed steps as to how to apply for a new permit or http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/apply- extend.asp for steps on how to extend your permit.
You can check the national Job Bank or your local HRSDC service center (see Resources) for postings about new jobs.
Losing Your Job and Employment Insurance
If your employer wants to fire you, they have to give you one week’s written notice if you’ve been working for less than a year, and two week’s notice if you’ve been working for 1-5 continuous years for them.
If you get fired from your job, you are entitled to collect Employment Insurance (EI). Bring your ROE to your local HRSDC center (see Resources) to apply for EI. If you don’t yet have your ROE, you can still apply for EI; your local HRSDC will contact your employer and force them to give you your ROE.
Abuse
If you are in an abusive situation, you should leave right away. For support in such a situation, contact PINAY (see Resources).
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, “abuse can take many forms. It can be assault, sexual assault or negligence. Each of these is a criminal act. It can be harassment, verbal mocking or behaviour toward you that is degrading or humiliating. Each of these is a human rights abuse. It can also be a threat, a lie or a false accusation by your employer meant to scare you into not complaining.”
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/work/caregiver-faq03.asp
Psychological Harassment
You are covered under the Act Respecting Labour Standards for psychological harassment on the job. Psychological harassment at work is defined as repeated conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures:
• that are hostile or unwanted;
• that affect the employee’s dignity or psychological or physical integrity;
• that make the work environment harmful.
It also can include sexual harassment at work and harassment based on race, colour, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, civil status, age, religion, political convictions, language, ethnic or national origin, social condition, or handicap.
If you feel like you are being psychologically harassed on the job, you can make a complaint to the Commission des normes du travail, but you will need to prove that the behaviour conforms with the above definition of psychological harassment. You will need to file this complaint within 90 days of the last incident.
Try to write down incidences of harassment – the CNT will probably want to know exactly what happened and when
For more information, see http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/en/plaintes-et- recours/psychological-harassment/index.html.
If you’re thinking about filing a complaint for psychological harassment, PINAY could be a good resource for you.
Living Conditions
All your meals should be provided free of charge.
The terms of your work permit require that you live in your employer’s house, but that your room should:
- be closed and have a lock for which you have a key (you should also have a key to your employer’s house);
- be furnished;
- have proper heating and ventilation;
- not have visible or structural damages.
If your living conditions do not meet these standards, you can file a complaint with the Commission des normes du travail.
PINAY is involved in a campaign to eliminate the live-in requirement for workers under the LCP. Get in touch with them for more information.
Payment
As of May 1, 2010, the minimum wage that your employer can pay you is $9.50 per hour. Seehttp://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/advertReq/wageadreq.shtml
#tphp for changes to the Québec minimum wage or for minimum wage rates in other provinces.
With every paycheque, your employer must give you a statement of earnings including how many hours you worked, the total amount paid to you, and the gross pay before any deductions. The amounts deducted, which include Employment Insurance and Québec Pension Plan payments, will also be shown.
Every year, your employer will file this information with the Canada Revenue Agency and you will receive a T4 slip by the end of February. T4 slips contain a record of your working history in Canada, and will help you to file your income taxes.
Overtime
Legally, you’re not supposed to work more than 40 hours per week, and you’re supposed to get 2 weeks of paid vacation per year. If you work more than 40 hours/week in Québec, your employer is obliged to pay you time and a half – that is, your wage plus a 50% increase (i.e. for a minimum wage of $9.50 / hr you should get $13.75 for overtime).
You can also ask your employer to give you a vacation instead of your overtime pay – this vacation can be the same number of overtime hours that you worked augmented by 50% (so, for example, if you worked 4 overtime days your vacation would be 6 days long). This vacation has to be taken in the 12 months following the overtime hours.
Time off
After working 5 consecutive hours, you have the right to a 30 minute unpaid meal break. If you’re not authorized to leave your place of work, then your break has to be paid.
Every week you are entitled to a break of 32 consecutive hours, although these hours do not have to fall on the weekend
You are free to choose how you spend your time off, and are not required to spend it in your employer’s home.
Any vacation time must be written into your employment contract.
Signing a Contract
Your contract is specific to your current employer. To change employers, you need a new contract.
Check to make sure your contract includes:
• Employer-paid transportation to the place of work in Canada;
• Employer-paid health insurance (RAMQ or equivalent);
• Employer-paid workplace safety insurance (CSST);
• Employer-paid recruitment fees;
• Contract length;
• Hours, including overtime;
• Duties of the position;
• People who will be cared for;
• Work schedule and wages;
• Accommodation provisions;
• Transportation costs;
• Provisions for resignation and dismissal.
If it does not include the above information, you can amend your contract with your employer. If you are having trouble doing this, contact the Minstère de l’immigration et des communautés culturelles.
Worker’s Compensation (CSST)
In past domestic workers could register themselves for provincial worker’s compensation, but as a result of changes made on April 1st 2010, your employer is now legally required to pay for you to have employment insurance, so that you will receive compensation if you get hurt on the job. This insurance must be equivalent to the provincial coverage that other workers receive.
Filing a Complaint
You can file a complaint with the Commission des normes du travail if you believe that:
- your employer has not fully paid you;
- you were unjustly fired or otherwise punished;
- you have experienced psychological harassment.
For steps on how to file a complaint, see http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/en/on-line- services/plaintes-en-ligne/index.html?no_cache=1.
Healthcare
Upon arrival in Canada, you can apply to be covered under provincial health insurance, but it can take up to 3 months before you receive your Medicare card. This waiting period is also called the “delai de carence”.
See http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citoyens/assurancemaladie/arriver/sejour.shtml for steps on how to get coverage. You cannot register on the internet, but see the above website before going to a RAMQ office to see a list of documents you need to bring.
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is responsible for providing you with private health insurance equal to the provincial coverage for the waiting period. Your employer cannot deduct money from your wages for this.
Provincial health insurance covers any “medically necessary” procedure to anyone with a valid Health Insurance Card. This includes things such as a consultation with a doctor, who may refer you to another medically necessary service or prescribe medication. In some cases, different services are covered for children under 12 and adults over 65.
For a specific list of what is and is not covered in Québec, see the Régie de l’assurance maladie website:http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citoyens/assurancemaladie/serv_couv_queb/serv_couv_q ueb.shtml.
There shouldn’t be any gaps in your health coverage (between employer-paid private insurance in the waiting period and RAMQ insurance). But, if for any reason there are,
some services are available for anyone waiting for their coverage to begin. Make sure to bring documentation that you are in the waiting period. These include services:
- needed by people who have experienced conjugal or domestic violence or sexual assault;
- related to pregnancy, child birth, or termination of pregnancy;
- needed by people with infectious diseases that effect public health.
To remain covered by Québec health insurance, you must not leave the province for over 21 consecutive days while you have temporary worker status.
Applying for permanent residence
You can apply for permanent residence in Canada, after completing the following work under the Live-in Caregiver Program within 4 years of your arrival:
- 24 months of authorized full-time work, or
- 3,900 hours of authorized full-time employment within a minimum of 22 months.
You can include up to 390 hours of overtime.
Periods of unemployment, extended periods outside of Canada (that are not included in your employment contract), or any work for your employer that takes place outside of Canada cannot be included in the above work experience.
To apply for permanent residence, your work permit must still be valid.
To stay in Québec, you must submit an application to both the Minstère de l’immigration et des communautés culturelles, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. See http://www.immigration-Québec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/immigrer-installer/travailleurs- temporaires/demeurer-Québec/index.html for steps on how to apply (available only in French).
As of April 1, 2010, you no longer have to undergo a second medical exam to apply for permanent residence.
Your family members can apply for permanent residence at the same as you. Important: any family members you plan on sponsoring later must be listed in your application for permanent residence.
You can also apply for an open work permit, which will allow you to take any job you wish, at the same time as you apply for permanent residence.
It can affect your application if:
- you, your spouse or common-law partner, or any of your family members have a criminal record or a serious medical problem, or;
- you did not provide truthful information about education, training or experience to the visa officer when you first applied under the Live-In Caregiver Program, your application can be cancelled.
Your application is not affected by your financial situation, skills upgrading in Canada, volunteer work, marital status or the number of family members you have in your home country.
Resources
We’ve included a lot of “further reading” through internet websites: if you need to use a computer with internet, you can go to a public library. There are several libraries around Montreal, including one located at 5290, chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges.
Introduction
The purpose of this booklet is to provide people working under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) in Québec with information about their rights. Workers under this program complete 24 months of live-in domestic work over the course of 4 years, after which they may apply for permanent residency.
The LCP is run by the Canadian federal government, through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRDSC), but labour laws and health insurance are run by provincial governments. So, while this guide has some information relevant to all LCP workers, the majority of information is specific to people working in Québec. The Resources section is specific to Montreal.
As of April 1st 2010, several changes have been made to the LCP. These changes include: the elimination of the second medical exam; the extension of the time during which a caregiver can complete the required 24 months from 3 years to 4; the addition of the requirement that employers provide health and employment insurance for caregivers, and pay for their travel and recruitment costs. While these are all positive changes that will assist caregivers in the short-term, they don’t get to the root of the problem. A caregiver’s prospects of getting permanent residency depend upon their ability to complete the required 24 months within four years – this means that they have a disincentive to report instances of abuse or to leave their employer, since these actions can result in lengthy delays while finding a new employer and applying for a new work permit. Further, the live-in requirement puts caregivers in a particularly vulnerable position and blurs the line between home and work, meaning that caregivers often work overtime hours for which they are not remunerated.
This booklet was compiled for PINAY, a Filipino Women’s Organization that works in Montreal and Québec to empower and organize Filipino women, particularly Filipino domestic workers. Most PINAY members are migrant workers under the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP). For 18 years Pinay has brought together domestic workers and their supporters together in the struggle for basic rights and welfare. If you are a caregiver looking for support, or if you wish to get involved with PINAY’s organizing, you can contact them by sending an email to info@pinayquebec.org or by calling them at 514- 364-9833.
You may also wish to refer to the Immigrant Worker’s Centre (IWC) if you are looking for support or more information about your rights as a Live-in Caregiver. The IWC is an education and campaign centre for immigrant workers in Montreal. Please see their contact information in the Resources section.
Throughout this booklet we’ll be referring to a range of organizations – let’s break down their acronyms:
CAQ- Québec Acceptance Certificate
CIC – Citizenship and Immigration Canada
CSST - Commission de la Santé et de la Sécurité du Travail du Québec, also known as Worker’s Compensation
EI – Employment Insurance
HRSDC – Human Resources and Skills Development Canada IWC – Immigrant Worker’s Centre
LCP - Live-in Caregiver Program LMO – Labour Market Opinion
MICC – Ministère de l’immigration et des Communautés culturelles PINAY – Filipino Women’s Organization in Québec
RAMQ - Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec, the Québec Health Insurance Board ROE – Record of Employment
Placement Agencies
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is required to pay the full cost of your recruitment. If your employer has paid fees to a recruitment agency, they are not allowed to make you pay them back or deduct this money from your pay. If you were charged money by a recruitment agency, your employer has to pay you back for these fees (make sure to keep written proof of any payments you have made).
Case Study: Super Nanny and Mr. John Aurora
Recently, PINAY filed a complaint with the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse about Mr. John Aurora who runs the recruitment company Super Nanny. Mr. Aurora’s company has a history of signing employment contracts with caregivers based on false and fraudulent information. When these caregivers arrived in Canada, they found themselves without an employer and were told that they would have to wait for a new employer to be found. During this waiting period, many of them ended up sleeping on the floor in a room next to Mr. Aurora’s office and doing work in the building for which they were not paid. Mr. Aurora also has a rooming house with 15 apartments in it. Since its operation, he rented rooms to Filipino women who were waiting for his agency to find them an employer and get them a work permit. He pressured them to sign a one-year lease, meaning that they would agree to pay him rent every month for a full year. He refused to give them a copy of the lease, which is illegal. Mr. Aurora then found an employer for each caregiver with whom they had to reside, even though they had already legally agreed to pay him rent for a full year! Around 30 women have passed through Mr. Aurora’s rooming house at a given time. Be aware of recruitment agencies such as JA Enterprise-Super Nanny; before signing a lease to live outside of an employer’s home, consult with PINAY or the Immigrant Worker’s Center (see Resources). They can provide you with useful support and advice in such a situation.
Travel Costs
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is required to pay your travel costs to your new place of work. These costs include the most convenient, cheapest and shortest form of transportation, but not meals or accommodation along the way. You should not pay these costs at any time, even with the promise of being paid back.
Employers
You do not need to ask permission from your employer to contact an association or government agency concerning your rights, or to file a complaint against them. You cannot legally be punished or deported for doing so.
It is illegal for your employer to withhold your legal documents (e.g. passport, work permit).
Changing employers
You are free to change employers for any reason. You can not be punished deported for doing so, but you will need to apply for a new work permit (at least 30 days before the expiry of your current permit) before beginning your new job. Working for someone without proper work document is considered illegal work, and could result in deportation.
If you want to quit your job, you need to give your employer written notice at least a week in advance, and you need to inform the Ministère de l’Immigration et Communautés culturelles.
In Québec, you must renew your Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) before applying for a new work permit.
To renew your CAQ, send the following documents to your new employer, who will forward them on to the Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC):
- the Live-in Caregiver contract of employment already filled out by your employer and signed by you;
-a copy of an approved Labour Market Opinion by Service Canada;
-a job offer letter from your new employer;
- the application for a Québec Acceptance Certificate for Temporary Work, completed and signed by you;
- 2x cheques of $175 each (from employer and employee) a fee levied to review the application;
- a copy of the last valid work permit;
- a copy of your last notice of assessment or your last tax information slip (T4), if applicable;
- a copy of your previous employer’s letter of release.
For more detailed information, see http://www.immigration/- Québec.gouv.qc.ca/en/immigrate-settle/temporary-workers/new- autorizations/extension/index.html.
When you receive your CAQ, you will then need to renew your work permit with Citizenship and Immigration Canada as soon as possible. This will cost $150.
From your original employer, you will need:
- a record of your overtime
- a Record of Employment (ROE)* which includes:
o your reason for leaving
o total hours worked
o gross earnings
o total amount paid and/or payable “at the time of leaving”
* Only your employer can give you an ROE, but they are legally bound to do so. If you cannot get an ROE from your employer, contact an HRSDC/Service Canada office (see Resources) and they will force your employer to comply.
Make sure you get the ROE; you will need this record of your work to apply for permanent residence.
From your future employer, you will need:
- a Labour Market Opinion (LMO), which your employer must apply for through the HRSDC
- a contract signed by you and your future employer (for a Québec specific contract template, seehttp://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/questions- answers/lcp.shtml#Q01 ) *
* If your work permit will expire very soon and your new employer hasn’t yet sent you the documentation you need, you can send your application along with a letter of explanation at least 30 days before your work permit expires, to the Case Processing Centre (see Resources).
Send the above two documents along with your application. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/apply-how.asp for more detailed steps as to how to apply for a new permit or http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/apply- extend.asp for steps on how to extend your permit.
You can check the national Job Bank or your local HRSDC service center (see Resources) for postings about new jobs.
Losing Your Job and Employment Insurance
If your employer wants to fire you, they have to give you one week’s written notice if you’ve been working for less than a year, and two week’s notice if you’ve been working for 1-5 continuous years for them.
If you get fired from your job, you are entitled to collect Employment Insurance (EI). Bring your ROE to your local HRSDC center (see Resources) to apply for EI. If you don’t yet have your ROE, you can still apply for EI; your local HRSDC will contact your employer and force them to give you your ROE.
Abuse
If you are in an abusive situation, you should leave right away. For support in such a situation, contact PINAY (see Resources).
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, “abuse can take many forms. It can be assault, sexual assault or negligence. Each of these is a criminal act. It can be harassment, verbal mocking or behaviour toward you that is degrading or humiliating. Each of these is a human rights abuse. It can also be a threat, a lie or a false accusation by your employer meant to scare you into not complaining.”
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/work/caregiver-faq03.asp
Psychological Harassment
You are covered under the Act Respecting Labour Standards for psychological harassment on the job. Psychological harassment at work is defined as repeated conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures:
• that are hostile or unwanted;
• that affect the employee’s dignity or psychological or physical integrity;
• that make the work environment harmful.
It also can include sexual harassment at work and harassment based on race, colour, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, civil status, age, religion, political convictions, language, ethnic or national origin, social condition, or handicap.
If you feel like you are being psychologically harassed on the job, you can make a complaint to the Commission des normes du travail, but you will need to prove that the behaviour conforms with the above definition of psychological harassment. You will need to file this complaint within 90 days of the last incident.
Try to write down incidences of harassment – the CNT will probably want to know exactly what happened and when
For more information, see http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/en/plaintes-et- recours/psychological-harassment/index.html.
If you’re thinking about filing a complaint for psychological harassment, PINAY could be a good resource for you.
Living Conditions
All your meals should be provided free of charge.
The terms of your work permit require that you live in your employer’s house, but that your room should:
- be closed and have a lock for which you have a key (you should also have a key to your employer’s house);
- be furnished;
- have proper heating and ventilation;
- not have visible or structural damages.
If your living conditions do not meet these standards, you can file a complaint with the Commission des normes du travail.
PINAY is involved in a campaign to eliminate the live-in requirement for workers under the LCP. Get in touch with them for more information.
Payment
As of May 1, 2010, the minimum wage that your employer can pay you is $9.50 per hour. Seehttp://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/advertReq/wageadreq.shtml
#tphp for changes to the Québec minimum wage or for minimum wage rates in other provinces.
With every paycheque, your employer must give you a statement of earnings including how many hours you worked, the total amount paid to you, and the gross pay before any deductions. The amounts deducted, which include Employment Insurance and Québec Pension Plan payments, will also be shown.
Every year, your employer will file this information with the Canada Revenue Agency and you will receive a T4 slip by the end of February. T4 slips contain a record of your working history in Canada, and will help you to file your income taxes.
Overtime
Legally, you’re not supposed to work more than 40 hours per week, and you’re supposed to get 2 weeks of paid vacation per year. If you work more than 40 hours/week in Québec, your employer is obliged to pay you time and a half – that is, your wage plus a 50% increase (i.e. for a minimum wage of $9.50 / hr you should get $13.75 for overtime).
You can also ask your employer to give you a vacation instead of your overtime pay – this vacation can be the same number of overtime hours that you worked augmented by 50% (so, for example, if you worked 4 overtime days your vacation would be 6 days long). This vacation has to be taken in the 12 months following the overtime hours.
Time off
After working 5 consecutive hours, you have the right to a 30 minute unpaid meal break. If you’re not authorized to leave your place of work, then your break has to be paid.
Every week you are entitled to a break of 32 consecutive hours, although these hours do not have to fall on the weekend
You are free to choose how you spend your time off, and are not required to spend it in your employer’s home.
Any vacation time must be written into your employment contract.
Signing a Contract
Your contract is specific to your current employer. To change employers, you need a new contract.
Check to make sure your contract includes:
• Employer-paid transportation to the place of work in Canada;
• Employer-paid health insurance (RAMQ or equivalent);
• Employer-paid workplace safety insurance (CSST);
• Employer-paid recruitment fees;
• Contract length;
• Hours, including overtime;
• Duties of the position;
• People who will be cared for;
• Work schedule and wages;
• Accommodation provisions;
• Transportation costs;
• Provisions for resignation and dismissal.
If it does not include the above information, you can amend your contract with your employer. If you are having trouble doing this, contact the Minstère de l’immigration et des communautés culturelles.
Worker’s Compensation (CSST)
In past domestic workers could register themselves for provincial worker’s compensation, but as a result of changes made on April 1st 2010, your employer is now legally required to pay for you to have employment insurance, so that you will receive compensation if you get hurt on the job. This insurance must be equivalent to the provincial coverage that other workers receive.
Filing a Complaint
You can file a complaint with the Commission des normes du travail if you believe that:
- your employer has not fully paid you;
- you were unjustly fired or otherwise punished;
- you have experienced psychological harassment.
For steps on how to file a complaint, see http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/en/on-line- services/plaintes-en-ligne/index.html?no_cache=1.
Healthcare
Upon arrival in Canada, you can apply to be covered under provincial health insurance, but it can take up to 3 months before you receive your Medicare card. This waiting period is also called the “delai de carence”.
See http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citoyens/assurancemaladie/arriver/sejour.shtml for steps on how to get coverage. You cannot register on the internet, but see the above website before going to a RAMQ office to see a list of documents you need to bring.
As of April 1, 2010, your employer is responsible for providing you with private health insurance equal to the provincial coverage for the waiting period. Your employer cannot deduct money from your wages for this.
Provincial health insurance covers any “medically necessary” procedure to anyone with a valid Health Insurance Card. This includes things such as a consultation with a doctor, who may refer you to another medically necessary service or prescribe medication. In some cases, different services are covered for children under 12 and adults over 65.
For a specific list of what is and is not covered in Québec, see the Régie de l’assurance maladie website:http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citoyens/assurancemaladie/serv_couv_queb/serv_couv_q ueb.shtml.
There shouldn’t be any gaps in your health coverage (between employer-paid private insurance in the waiting period and RAMQ insurance). But, if for any reason there are,
some services are available for anyone waiting for their coverage to begin. Make sure to bring documentation that you are in the waiting period. These include services:
- needed by people who have experienced conjugal or domestic violence or sexual assault;
- related to pregnancy, child birth, or termination of pregnancy;
- needed by people with infectious diseases that effect public health.
To remain covered by Québec health insurance, you must not leave the province for over 21 consecutive days while you have temporary worker status.
Applying for permanent residence
You can apply for permanent residence in Canada, after completing the following work under the Live-in Caregiver Program within 4 years of your arrival:
- 24 months of authorized full-time work, or
- 3,900 hours of authorized full-time employment within a minimum of 22 months.
You can include up to 390 hours of overtime.
Periods of unemployment, extended periods outside of Canada (that are not included in your employment contract), or any work for your employer that takes place outside of Canada cannot be included in the above work experience.
To apply for permanent residence, your work permit must still be valid.
To stay in Québec, you must submit an application to both the Minstère de l’immigration et des communautés culturelles, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. See http://www.immigration-Québec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/immigrer-installer/travailleurs- temporaires/demeurer-Québec/index.html for steps on how to apply (available only in French).
As of April 1, 2010, you no longer have to undergo a second medical exam to apply for permanent residence.
Your family members can apply for permanent residence at the same as you. Important: any family members you plan on sponsoring later must be listed in your application for permanent residence.
You can also apply for an open work permit, which will allow you to take any job you wish, at the same time as you apply for permanent residence.
It can affect your application if:
- you, your spouse or common-law partner, or any of your family members have a criminal record or a serious medical problem, or;
- you did not provide truthful information about education, training or experience to the visa officer when you first applied under the Live-In Caregiver Program, your application can be cancelled.
Your application is not affected by your financial situation, skills upgrading in Canada, volunteer work, marital status or the number of family members you have in your home country.
Resources
We’ve included a lot of “further reading” through internet websites: if you need to use a computer with internet, you can go to a public library. There are several libraries around Montreal, including one located at 5290, chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges.
Immigrant Worker’s Centre
(an education and campaign centre for immigrant workers in Montréal)
http://iwc-cti.ca/
4755 Van Horne Suite 110
514-342-2111
iwc_cti@yahoo.com
(an education and campaign centre for immigrant workers in Montréal)
http://iwc-cti.ca/
4755 Van Horne Suite 110
514-342-2111
iwc_cti@yahoo.com
If you have any problem with your employer, or if you have any legal problems -- contact PINAY Quebec https://www.facebook.com/pinayquebec
Association des Aides Familiales du Québec
(a group that does advocacy work for domestic workers)
20,De Maisonnueve West, Montreal H2X 1Z3
(514)272-2670
http://www.aafq.ca/ aafq@aafq.ca
Case Processing Centre
Unit 202 Vegreville, Alberta T9C 1X5
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/index.asp
Commission des normes du travail (CNT)
http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/
500, boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest 26th floor
Montréal
514 873-7061
1 800 265-1414
Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec (CSST)
http://www.csst.qc.ca/index.htm
1, complexe Desjardins South Tower, 31st floor 1 866 302-CSST (2778)
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Service Center
In Montreal there are several, two of them are located at: 1415 Jarry Street East
200 René-Lévesque Blvd West
To find others, see http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/hr-search.cgi?ot&ln=eng
National Job Bank
http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/Intro_eng.aspx
PINAY
info@pinayquebec.org
514-364-9833.
Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/index_en.shtml 425, boulevard De Maisonneuve Ouest
3rd floor, suite 300 Montréal
514 864-3411
Elsewhere in Québec,
The Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP) Simplified
The Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP) is a program under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that is offered by Canada to hire people from other countries to fill-up a niche labour that is needed here in Canada. It is essentially for services rendered as domestic workers. The LCP is the only program under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that the worker can apply for permanent residency upon completing the 24-month requirement as a live-In caregiver.
As the program titles states, the worker (employee) is a “live-in” within their employer’s home in order to take care of them. Within the program’s clause, in the contract there are responsibilities or tasks that the worker must assume. Once the worker’s permit is acquired with a specific employer, they must complete twenty-four months within four years of the permit in order to apply for permanent residency and wait for its approval (or not). The LCPallows the worker to receive an open permit that permitting them to work outside the LCP while waiting for permanent residency.
The Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP) is a program under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that is offered by Canada to hire people from other countries to fill-up a niche labour that is needed here in Canada. It is essentially for services rendered as domestic workers. The LCP is the only program under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that the worker can apply for permanent residency upon completing the 24-month requirement as a live-In caregiver. As the program titles states, the worker (employee) is a “live-in” within their employer’s home in order to take care of them. Within the program’s clause, in the contract there are responsibilities or tasks that the worker must assume. Once the worker’s permit is acquired with a specific employer, they must complete twenty-four months within four years of the permit in order to apply for permanent residency and wait for its approval (or not). The LCPallows the worker to receive an open permit that permitting them to work outside the LCP while waiting for permanent residency.
The thousands of Filipina maids and caregivers in many countries need ONE UNITED VOICE of POWER - to free themselves from sexual abuses and employers' abuses who make them work day and night without pay.
Who are you?
(Watch this video that will help to empower you wherever you are in the world)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi5iXnguTU
Transcript
You are beautiful
You are smart
You are funny
You are kind
You are unique
You are worthy of love and affection
You are never too much
and you are always enough
You are precious
You are a diamond, a rose, a pearl
The most stunning of all God's creation
You are worth more than you could ever imagine
Worth more than the numbers on the scale
or the hair product you use
or the shoes you wear
More than how many girls wish they were you
or how many guys wish they had you
more than the price tags on your clothes
or the percentage at the top of your math test
or even the number of followers you have on Twitter
Your worth surpasses all earthly things
because in the eyes of the Lord God
you are loved and you are worth dying for
regardless of who you think you are
whether you model in a magazine
or you model pottery with Grandma
Whether you're on the "Hot List" or the "Not List"
Whether you're head cheerleader or a high school dropout
Whether you're "Miss Popular" or you've never
had anyone you could call a friend
Whether you love yourself and love your life
or you can't stand to look in the mirror
and you feel as if everything in your life
is falling apart
whether you're such a winner or you feel like
the world's biggest failure
Regardless of who you think you are
the reality is that you deserve someone who
would give up their life for you
because you are powerful
and strong
and capable
read about the women in the bible
Esther, Ruth, Martha, Mary
These women changed the world forever
and inside of you
each and every one of you is a woman with
that
same power and that same strength
and that same world changing capability
and your responsibility is to find that woman
and to set that woman free
this is who you are
and any voices in your mind that try and tell
you differently
are from the enemy
and the next time you hear them this is what you say,
you say nuh-uh, not me Satan
I am a daughter of the living God
Cherished, loved, and adored
above all things by the creator of all things
for the glory of him who is greater than all things
I am awesome
and please don't you forget it
OUST HARPER – watch why at CBC.ca SILENCE OF THE LABS
......
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
TO HELP EMPOWER FILIPINA DOMESTIC WORKERS AND CAREGIVERS
OUST HARPER – watch why at CBC.ca SILENCE OF THE LABS
OUST HARPER - do NOt vote Conservative = watch why
Silence of the Labs - The Fifth Estate - CBC Player
www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2429411271/
Jan 11, 2014
With massive cuts by Ottawa to everything from food inspections to water quality and climate change and the dismissal of more than 2,000 federal scientists and researchers, some scientists have become unlikely radicals -- denouncing what they call a politically-driven war on knowledge. In Silence of the Labs, Linden MacIntyre tells their story - and what is at stake for Canadians - from Nova Scotia to the B.C. Pacific Coast and the far Arctic Circle.
=============================================
(LCP) Live-in Care Program in Canada
Live-in Care Program in Canada: your rights, guide and resources
What if I need help?
If your employer treats you unfairly, you can call or write to the nearest provincial or territorial labour standards office. See the List of provincial and territorial labour standards offices in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
Your employer cannot penalize you for complaining to a labour standards office. The office may ask if you have tried first to resolve the problem by talking to your employer. Your employer may not realize that there is a problem, and you may be able to solve it by telling your employer how you feel and the reason for your concern.
In every province and territory, private and public agencies offer encouragement and advice. These agencies can help you if you have difficulties, such as stress, anxiety or any other problems. These agencies are usually listed in the telephone book. In some locations, there are also professional support networks for live-in domestics or caregivers. See the List of professional associations in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
Services Canada, a part of Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), offers employment services. To find out which HRSDC–Services Canada centre serves your area, consult the government section of your telephone directory or visit the HRSDC website. Find a link to this website in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
What is abuse?
Abuse can take many forms. It can be assault, sexual assault or negligence. Each of these is a criminal act. It can be harassment, verbal mocking or behaviour toward you that is degrading or humiliating. Each of these is a human rights abuse. It can also be a threat, a lie or a false accusation by your employer meant to scare you into not complaining.
Be sure that you know your rights and what steps to take if something goes wrong.
Do not confront your abuser. Inform the police, or provincial or territorial authorities, and let them investigate. A caregiver support network or a domestic worker advocacy group can give you counselling and support. See the List of caregiver support networks in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
How are contracts enforced?
It is your responsibility to know the laws that apply to you and to look after your own interests.
The contract is a written agreement of the conditions of your employment. It will help to protect your rights as an employee. If there is a misunderstanding, use the contract when you talk to your employer.
If you need to complain about labour or employment standards, use the contract for information. Contact the government ministry responsible for labour or employment standards in the province or territory where you work if you have any questions, difficulties or complaints about your employment. See the List of provincial and territorial labour standards offices in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
How does the law protect me?
As a live-in caregiver, you have legal rights to fair working conditions and fair treatment under labour laws in most provinces and territories. Nothing in your contract must violate these rights. Labour laws may cover rights in areas such as:
* days off each week
* vacation time with pay
* paid public holidays
* overtime pay
* minimum wage
* other protection, including equal pay, equal benefits and notice of employment termination and
* maximum charges for room and board.
Regulation 185 of Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations has a complete list of conditions that may be put on your work permit.
Public holidays are days during the year when most workers, including live-in caregivers, can have the day off with pay or receive a premium, which could be overtime pay, if they work. In Canada, some common holidays are New Year’s Day (January 1), Good Friday (Easter), Victoria Day (late May), Canada Day (July 1), Labour Day (early September), Thanksgiving (mid-October) and Christmas Day (December 25). Some provinces or territories have one or two other public holidays.
Working conditions, such as minimum hourly wages, vary widely in Canada according to provincial or territorial law. It is your responsibility to find out the labour laws in the province or territory where you work. See the List of provincial and territorial labour standards offices in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
How does hospital and medical insurance work?
Under Canada’s health insurance system, Canadian residents do not pay certain hospital and medical expenses. However, you or your employer may be required to pay for you to be covered by the insurance plan, depending on the province or territory in which you work. When you arrive in Canada, contact the medical care or hospital insurance office in the province or territory where you work to find out about health insurance. You can find this information in the government section of the telephone directory.
How does workers’ compensation work?
Many provinces and territories provide for workers’ compensation benefits that pay your wages if you get sick or are injured on the job. In some provinces and territories, employers must register their employees in the plan. In other provinces and territories, employers can decide whether to participate.
Since workers’ compensation is an insurance plan for employers, only the employer pays for it. Your employer cannot take money from your wages for this purpose. If workers’ compensation is optional in the province or territory in which you will work, your employment contract should state whether your employer will participate in the plan. Check the government section of the telephone directory for information on workers’ compensation.
What about benefits such as Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security?
Employment Insurance
As a live-in caregiver in Canada, you are covered by Employment Insurance (EI). EI provides you with benefits if you lose your job through no fault of your own. How long you must work before you qualify for EI will depend on the unemployment rate in your region when you file a claim for benefits. For more information see Service Canada — Employment Insurance in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
You may be eligible to receive benefits while you look for another job. However, Live-in Caregiver Program participants are expected to find a new employer as soon as possible.
While you are working, you pay into the EI account through money deducted from your wages. The amount deducted depends on how much you earn. Your employer also pays into the EI account on your behalf. Your employer must send in both your payment and her or his contribution to the government. If you lose your job, the EI account will pay you benefits if you qualify.
Canada Pension Plan
You and your employer must make payments to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). The CPP provides a retirement pension as early as age 60 if you no longer work or work very few hours. The plan also pays disability pensions and benefits to the spouse or common-law partner and dependent children of contributors who die.
To receive any benefits, you must meet certain requirements. For example, if you work in Canada for only one or two years and then return to your country of previous residence, you will not qualify for a pension.
Old Age Security
The Old Age Security (OAS) program pays a monthly benefit to residents of Canada who are at least 65 years old. You do not have to contribute to this program.
Your employer must give you a statement of earnings with your paycheque. It shows how much you made before money is taken out for EI and CPP. It also shows other deductions and the hours you worked.
Does my employer take taxes out of my pay?
Yes. Your employer can collect income tax and send it to the Canada Revenue Agency. Every year, your employer sends a record of how much you earned and how much income tax was withheld from your earnings and sent to the Canada Revenue Agency on your behalf. You get a copy of this information on a T4 slip. Your employer must give this to you by the end of February each year. Use the T4 to file your income tax return. Your income tax return is due before April 30 every year. You can get an income tax form at any Canada Post office.
What other rights do I have?
You have the right to privacy in your home. For example, you should ask for a lock on the door of your room as well as a key to the house where you live and work. You may spend your non-working hours as you wish. Your employer cannot insist that you spend your non-working time in her or his house. You can refuse to do work that is not in your employment contract.
Your legal documents, such as your passport and work permit, are your private property. Do not give them to your employer.
When can I sponsor my family members to come to Canada?
Your family members living in Canada and abroad may be included in your application for permanent resident status in Canada. Their applications for permanent resident status will be processed at the same time as yours. Your family members living abroad will not receive their papers to come to Canada until you receive permanent resident status.
You and all your family members included in your application for permanent resident status in Canada, whether residing in Canada or abroad, must pass medical and background checks. You cannot get permanent resident status until you and your family members all pass these checks.
If and when all the requirements are met, then you and your family members in Canada will be invited to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada office nearest your home to obtain your permanent resident status. You, as the principal applicant, must be granted permanent resident status first, or at the same time as any family members.
An officer will issue permanent resident visas to those family members living outside Canada who were included on your application. Your family members can then come to Canada and get permanent resident status.
How much should I be paid if I am asked to work extra hours or during a day off?
Payment for working extra hours should be based on standards set by your provincial or territorial department of labour under employment standards laws. You should be paid for overtime according to the law, or as stated in your contract if the amount in the contract is higher.
Can I refuse to work for personal or religious reasons?
There should be a clear understanding in the contract about your hours of work and your time off, including holidays and vacations. Before you sign a contract, you and your employer should agree to time-off requirements to deal with any personal or special matters. You have the right to refuse duties that are not in your contract.
Can I return to my home country for a vacation?
Yes, you can return to your home country for a vacation. But the length of your vacation should be written in your employment contract. If you take a longer vacation than you have agreed to in your contract, you could lose your job in Canada.
Before travelling, you should check with your country’s government for information on visiting or exit visa requirements. These requirements could change while you are working in Canada.
Citizens from some countries and territories must have temporary resident visas to enter Canada. If you are from one of these countries, you may have to reapply for the visa before you can return to Canada. This could take time. Find out about the temporary resident visa requirement before you leave Canada.
If you stay outside Canada for more than one year or if your work permit expires while you are outside Canada, you will have to reapply to return to Canada under the Live-In Caregiver Program.
Can I study in Canada while I am a live-in caregiver?
If the course or program you want to take lasts more than six months, you will need to apply for a study permit. It is important to remember that you are in Canada to work as a live-in caregiver.
You can take non-credit special-interest courses without a study permit.
You can download and print the application for a study permit from Find an application form or guide in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page. You need the study permit application form.
You must pay a processing fee for your study permit.
If the course or program you want to take lasts more than six months, you will need to apply for a study permit. It is important to remember that you are in Canada to work as a live-in caregiver.
You can take non-credit special-interest courses without a study permit.
You can download and print the application for a study permit from Find an application form or guide in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page. You need the study permit application form.
You must pay a processing fee for your study permit.
========================================================
Live-in caregivers http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/caregiver/ -- official Canadian website (excerpts)
Both the employer and the employee must follow several steps to meet the requirements of the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP).
Determine your eligibility
Discover if you are eligible to apply to the LCP.Apply
Follow the steps to apply to be a live-in caregiver in Canada.Check processing times
Find out how long it will take Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to process your application.After you apply: get next steps
Learn what you should do after you apply to be a live-in caregiver.Prepare for arrival
Prepare for your arrival in Canada.Extend your work permit
You are responsible to make sure your work permit is extended before the expiry date. Find out more about extending your work permit.Become a permanent resident
Find out if you are eligible to become a permanent resident of Canada.
Need Help?
We may have the perfect answer for you
Top questions
- As a live-in caregiver, can I return to my home country for a vacation?
- How many hours of work experience do I need as a Live-in Caregiver to apply for permanent residence?
- Can I go on vacation while my application for permanent residence is being processed?
- What rights do I have as a live-in caregiver under labour or employment laws?
- As a live-in caregiver, what can I do if I feel my employer is treating me unfairly?
USEFUL LINKS
LIVE-IN CAREGIVER ASSOCIATIONS in Canada
AAFQ www.aafq.ca/
Association des Aides Familiales du Quebec- http://www.aafq.ca/english#!__english
- Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association
Canadian Caregiver Coalition - Home
www.ccc-ccan.ca/The Canadian Caregiver Coalition is the national voice for the needs and interests of family caregivers. We are a bilingual, not-for-profit organization made up of ...- West Coast Domestic Workers Association
- Philippine Women Centre of BC British Columbia http://pwc.bc.tripod.com/
Click here.
| About PWC | pwc > about pwc | |
Celebrating Over a Decade of Struggle PWC was conceptualized in 1986 by a group of Filipino Canadian women, including domestic workers, connected with the BC Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (BCCHRP). The group was organizing in the Vancouver area to gain a deeper understanding of the Filipino community, particularly about the situation of the increasing number of Filipino domestic workers whose presence in Canada they saw as an urgent human rights issue. PWC believes that the migration of Filipino domestic workers in Canada has roots in the political and economic crisis in the Philippines. PWC members recognized the need to study, organize, and act on the issue and deepen the understanding of women's struggles in the Philippines, Canada, and the world. Through the efforts of six Filipino women, the PWC was formally launched in February 1990. PWC aims to empower Filipino women to understand the roots of their challenges as migrants, immigrants, women of colour and low-income earners, and to collectively assert their struggle for their rights and welfare.
Contact us at the Kalayaan Centre
451 Powell Street Vancouver, BC V6A 1G7 email: pwc@attcanada.ca ph/fax: 604-215-1103 |
||
PO Box 403, Times Square Station
New York, NY 10036
All Filipina nannies, caregivers, domestic maids
arriving in Canada, USA, and everywhere in the world
-- should have an EMPOWERMENT DAY
-- an orientation day, an introduction day
-- wherein they are told their rights and
-- wherein they are trained to defend themselves from all kinds of abuses and exploitation
-- especially fight against - working 24 hours a day - everyday - within 7 days a week.
-- All Filipina maids should keep a DAILY LOG SHEET on how many hours they work and what kind of extra work they do, TO PROVE they are being EXPLOITED after their 7 hours or 8 hours shift - that they work 24 hours everyday, 7 days a week!
SISTERHOOD OF CAREGIVERS
We suggest that all organizations like AAFQ establish a Sisterhood of Caregivers -- wherein a member adopts a NEWCOMER caregiver for a year -- to be her guide and mentor, moral support and prevention -- from becoming a slave.
I am a witness to the suffering of my people. I am a chronicler of truth and a catalyst of change... (from The Scholastican)
http://youtu.be/FtyJuGhqrvs -- VIDEO of Woman, you are the Face of God
Women -You are the Face of God
I hold you in my heart
You are a part of me
You are the Face of God.
Women
and girls face many forms of discrimination
Poverty
Violence
Trafficking
Destruction
Devaluation
War
…yet
it is women themselves
Who
have the power
To
change the world
And
they do
Down with virginity test
Virginity test n affront to women’s
dignity
Down with
virginity test
Une
constitution garante des droits de la femme Tunisienne
March
against rape & sexual harassement
Silence is a war crime
No feminicidios
We are the church
Stop the attacks on women
Desaparecida
Hiroshima NEVER AGAIN
Every Minute of the Day, A Woman or
Child is Sold
Violence
is not our culture
Women empowering themselves
Women empowering their communities
Women creating a brighter future for
all…
Re-imagine the possibilities
==========================================================
Our non-profit blog
was inspired by a Filipina domestic from the Middle East who left her
newborn baby – with placenta still attached – in the Bahrain Gulf Air
airplane toilet - upon landing in Manila, read her story here http://filipina-nannies-caregivers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/this-blog-was-inspired-by-filipina.htm . Her
despair and desperation inspired this blog to gather all possible
stories in order to help, to inform and to empower all Filipina nannies,
caregivers and maids -- to liberate themselves from abuses of all
forms: physical, rape, verbal, exploitation, overtime working without pay.... Send us your stories. Stay anonymous - if you like. (No one can afford to deny this matter anymore). Write in Tagalog, or your dialect, or English, or French, or any language. ALL nannies, caregivers and domestic maids are welcome, send your stories to mangococonutmay1@gmail.com
=========================================================
Westmount abuse Filipina caregivers
=========================================================
Westmount abuse Filipina caregivers
Westmount, Montreal. There are four Filipina nannies who work in Westmount for wealthy millionaire families in multi-million dollar homes. But they prefer not to sleep in those multi-million dollar houses and they rent a one bedroom apartment in the West Island of Montreal. Everyday they commute about an hour and a half each way to go to work from 9 to 5 in Westmount which is located behind the Oratory of St. Joseph at Mount Royal.
Westmount is right behind the Oratory of St. Joseph. According to this website, there were many victims of pedophile priests at the College Notre Dame just below the Oratory. Read more here BOYCOTT Oratory of Saint Joseph! CANDLES to giant Zeus statues of St. Joseph & Brother Andre CANNOT PROTECT CHILDREN from CSC PEDOPHILES http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2013/01/boycott-oratory-of-saint-joseph-candles.html
CSC Holy Cross Congregation delay $18 million compensation
payout. Brother Andre & Saint JOSEPH giant GOLDEN COW STATUES could not help
victims of CSC pedophiles http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2013/01/csc-holy-cross-congregation-delay-18.html
Oratory of St. Joseph copy Vatican Titanic. Montreal Police
announce arrest of 2 Holy Cross CSC pedophile priests for 14 years sodomy at
College Notre Dame http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/12/oratory-of-st-joseph-copy-vatican.html
Instead of donating to the Oratory and supporting those wealthy priests, perhaps Filipinos can donate to the Operation Smile to help hundreds or thousands of poor Filipino children.
Operation Smile
You can save a child from a lifetime of shame with one 45-minute surgery.
For as little as $240 or just $20 a month you can help provide a cleft lip surgery that will transform the life of a child. We have volunteer medical teams standing by. Now we need your help. Your gift today will help Operation Smile teams restore a child's smile and change his or her life forever!
https://ca-supporters.operationsmile.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=operation%20smile&utm_campaign=CaPaid
Living Proof
Our
work in more than 60 countries is made possible by thousands of medical
professionals and donors throughout the world who generously contribute
time and resources to our cause. Our efforts to improve care and
patient safety, foster sustainability and increase capacity in our
partner countries has been a continued focus over the past 30 years.
Proof
that our work changes lives can be found in the stories of our
patients, our volunteers and students leaders from the mission field,
our donors who help make missions happen, and our milestone missions
around the globe to heal thousands of children’s smiles. http://www.operationsmile.org/living_proof/
Instead of donating to the Oratory and supporting those wealthy priests, perhaps Filipinos can donate to the Operation Smile to help hundreds or thousands of poor Filipino children.
Operation Smile
You can save a child from a lifetime of shame with one 45-minute surgery.
For as little as $240 or just $20 a month you can help provide a cleft lip surgery that will transform the life of a child. We have volunteer medical teams standing by. Now we need your help. Your gift today will help Operation Smile teams restore a child's smile and change his or her life forever!
https://ca-supporters.operationsmile.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=operation%20smile&utm_campaign=CaPaid
==========================================================
- WOMEN EMPOWERMENT DAY
Beyoncé Joins Salma Hayek, Gucci for New Women's ... - Fashionista
fashionista.com/.../beyonce-joins-salma-hayek-gucci-for-new-womens-e...Feb 28, 2013 – Beyoncé wasn't playing around with that whole “Who run the world? GIRLS” thing. The human embodiment of all things wonderful in the ...
Gucci launches New Global Campaign For Girls' and Women's ...
www.unicefusa.org/news/releases/gucci-launches-chime-for-change.htmlFeb 28, 2013 – ... Salma Hayek Pinault will announce CHIME FOR CHANGE, founded by ... to raise funds and awareness for girls' and women's empowerment.
What Gucci, Beyonce and Salma Hayek have in common - Nashville ...
www.examiner.com/.../what-gucci-beyonce-and-salma-hayek-have-commo...13 hours ago – Last night, NBC aired the Women's Concert for Change, also known as Chime ... of Chime for Change: Actress Salma Hayek-Pinault, Gucci's Creative ... awareness and support of the women empowerment movement, with a ...
Times LIVE
Beyonce Joins Salma Hayek And Gucci For Women's Empowerment Campaign!
PerezHilton.com - 14 hours agoBeyonce joins Salma Hayek and Gucci's Frida Giannini for Chime For Change campaign.
- VOXXI - 1 day ago
- Times LIVE - 1 day ago
Beyonce Calls For Women Empowerment at Star ... - Access Atlanta
www.accessatlanta.com › Entertainment12 hours ago – Girl power ruled the stage on Saturday (June 1), with Beyonce heading a star-studded line-up to raise funds for women's health, education and ...
Beyonce calls for women empowerment at star ... - Dailymotion
www.dailymotion.com/.../x10jdra_beyonce-calls-for-...13 hours agoGirl power ruled the stage on Saturday (June 1), with Beyonce heading a star-studded line-up to raise funds ...
Beyonce Calls for Women s Empowerment at Star-Studded Concert ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7T-9ANE6to12 hours ago - Uploaded by interestingevents11Beyonce headlines a star-studded sell-out gig to promote gender equality in London on Saturday. Kathi Urban ...
====================================
Support empowerment!
Woman, you are the Face of God is taken from this website http://www.catherinecollege.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=106&Itemid=84
Support the empowerment of women!
Catherine of Siena Virtual College is a mission driven non-profit organization. We rely on your help to do this vital work!
With your help, women in developing regions all over the world will
have the opportunity to take transformative women's and gender studies
education. -
we are adding a vital new component to the emancipation of women throughout the world;
-
we are pioneering new courses and a new methodology that will change the lives of many women, helping them to become effective leaders;
-
we are achieving our purpose at a minimum cost because we have volunteers who support these efforts
-
with your support we can do our part to create a world where women will help shape the future and where gender equity is a reality
We
are building a scholarship fund so that no one will miss the
opportunity to take one of our women's and gender studies courses. Be a
part of something great! Donate today!
====================================
The women's way: beyond fight and flight
http://www.goodsams.org.au/good-oil/move-over-fight-and-flight/
April 16, 2013
BY Patty Fawkner SGS*
For 50 years we’ve known that “fight or flight” is the classic human response to danger and stress. But is it?
In a recent article, Benedictine Sister, Joan Chittister, a writer as prolific as she is prophetic, referred to a study which found that the participants in five decades of research into “fight or flight” theory were primarily men. When the University of California researchers, led by Professor Shelley E. Taylor, used women rather than men in their research, they found that “fight or flight” was not women’s primary or normal response. Under stress women “tend and befriend”.
Trusty Google told me more. When stressed, both sexes have the capacity for fight or flight and tending and befriending. It’s just that men are more likely to become aggressive and confront a stressor, or flee, either literally or by emotional withdrawal and engagement in substance abuse.
Women, on the other hand, are more likely to respond to stressful situations by protecting themselves and their children through nurturing behaviours and forming alliances with a larger social group. Under stress, women take care of their children and take care of one another.
Fight and flight is not the full story because for years researchers
did not take into account the full gamut of human experience. Women’s
experience was rarely included.
One is reminded of Daniel Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning and development, which I embraced non-critically as a trainee teacher. It wasn’t until the 1980s when Carol Gilligan queried why women were seen to be less morally developed than men in Kohlberg’s schema, that the male-centred focus of Kohlberg’s stages was exposed. Kohlberg, too, had used predominantly boys and men as the subjects of his study.
Gilligan, the first moral philosopher to listen to women’s moral voices, found that where men’s moral reasoning is dominated by concerns for justice and individual rights, women’s moral reasoning is dominated by a care perspective, interpreting issues in terms of human relationships. They develop morally, reason and talk about their moral decisions “In a Different Voice”, the evocative title of Gilligan’s study.
I discovered only recently that faith development guru, James Fowler, had the same blind spot. Women scored less highly on faith development interviews than men and proceeded to the more “advanced” stages of faith development when older. Yet again, Fowler used mainly males in his research. When females were the focus of study, researchers discovered that faith develops not only by cognition, an approach favoured by men, but is also shaped by emotion, imagination and relationship, women’s favoured approaches.
Research results are skewed when half the population do not participate in the study. Academics such as Taylor and Gilligan are not suggesting that women’s different voice is ‘better than’. They are not opting for an unhelpful ‘men-from-Mars-and-women-from-Venus’ polarity. Instead, they are suggesting that female and male sexes tend to favour particular behaviours and that there is a broader range of ways for human beings to deal with stress, to grow morally and to deepen faith.
Kohlberg, Fowler and company acted in good faith but were ‘deaf’ and ‘blind’ to women’s voices and women’s experience. They reinforced a “masculine universalism” by mistakenly presuming a gender neutrality in their research. Don’t we all miss out when women’s experience is ignored? And isn’t this the case in the Church where masculine universalism is endemic. In language, in liturgy, in symbol, in office, women are absent or present in embarrassingly token ways. But no one seems to notice.
Many women in the Roman Catholic Church have an ‘Alice-through-the-looking-glass-experience’.
“I don’t think they can hear me, and I’m nearly sure they can’t see me. I feel somehow as if I were invisible,” cries Alice.
Maybe there’s a sliver of hope with our new Pope. But poor Pope Francis! I join the throng of hope-starved Catholics longing for Church renewal. My hopes are many and specific. I hope Pope Francis continues his refreshing inclusive symbolic gestures. I hope he expands his belief that women have a “special and fundamental role” in the Church. I hope he augments this with real structural reform. I hope he breaks, or at least weakens, the implacable nexus that currently exists between ordination and decision-making in the Church.
Finally, I hope that Pope Francis listens to his fellow Argentine, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri who, prior to the papal conclave, said that the new pontificate needed to be more open to women contributing to all aspects of Church life.
Specifically, he called for women to be appointed to key positions within the Vatican administration.
The sprawling Vatican bureaucracy has
numerous departments. Women can only reach the position of
under-secretary and are accountable to the department president and
secretary, both clerics. Currently there are but two female
under-secretaries.
Cardinal Sandri added further encouraging words. Women, he said, “must also be co-participants in the dialogue and the analysis of the life of the Church… even in the formation of priests, where they can play a very, very important role”.
Many women have engaged in their own fight with and flight from the Church. Others, like myself, ‘hang in’ wanting to tend and befriend all those involved in the Church’s life and mission.
During these complex times, do those governing the Church wish to tend and befriend women by honouring their insight and their experience? Pope Francis’ endorsement of the Vatican’s report into the US Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is cause for pause. Yet, one still wonders and one still hopes.
======================
Read also
Pope Francis Top 10 Vatican Deceits. Francis cloned @3.13.13 inside Vatican Titanic as Jesuit Mask of Vatican Evils. “Bergoglio. Basura. Vos sos la dictadura.” http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2013/03/pope-francis-top-10-vatican-deceits_30.html
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Responses to “Move over fight and flight”
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Vic, thanks for your comments. You may be interested in listening to former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally recent talk on the ABC’s Conversations. She discusses her Masters thesis in theology which explores Jesus as the Wisdom figure and an understanding of Christ that isn’t centred on the fact that he was male. http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/04/22/3742504.htm?site=conversations
Patty Fawkner says:
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According to this website, there were many victims of pedophile priests at the College Notre Dame just below the Oratory. Read more here BOYCOTT Oratory of Saint Joseph! CANDLES to giant Zeus statues of St. Joseph & Brother Andre CANNOT PROTECT CHILDREN from CSC PEDOPHILES http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2013/01/boycott-oratory-of-saint-joseph-candles.html
CSC Holy Cross Congregation delay $18 million compensation payout. Brother Andre & Saint JOSEPH giant GOLDEN COW STATUES could not help victims of CSC pedophiles http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2013/01/csc-holy-cross-congregation-delay-18.html
Oratory of St. Joseph copy Vatican Titanic. Montreal Police
announce arrest of 2 Holy Cross CSC pedophile priests for 14 years sodomy at
College Notre Dame http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/12/oratory-of-st-joseph-copy-vatican.html
Instead of donating to the Oratory and supporting those wealthy priests, perhaps Filipinos can donate to the Operation Smile to help hundreds or thousands of poor Filipino children.
Operation Smile
You can save a child from a lifetime of shame with one 45-minute surgery.
For as little as $240 or just $20 a month you can help provide a cleft lip surgery that will transform the life of a child. We have volunteer medical teams standing by. Now we need your help. Your gift today will help Operation Smile teams restore a child's smile and change his or her life forever!
https://ca-supporters.operationsmile.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=operation%20smile&utm_campaign=CaPaid
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Read our related articles
This blog was inspired by a Filipina domestic from the Middle East who
abandonned her baby born inside airline toilet upon landing in Manila
Philippines:U.S.TROOPS OUT NOW! USA SLAVERY of Filipinos. True Independence history of the Philippines
http://filipina-nannies-caregivers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/philippinesustroops-out-now-true.html
American Imperialism in the Philippines. U.S.TROOPS OUT NOW! True Independence history of the Philippines
http://filipina-nannies-caregivers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/philippinesustroops-out-now-true.html
Montreal "Caregivers" work as "slaves" . AAFQ definition of caregiver is misleading, unfair and unjust. TYPHOON DONATIONS -- GIVE TO RED CROSS ONLY - do not give to SMALL Filipino organizations in Montreal or elsewhere because they will STEAL your money!
http://filipina-nannies-caregivers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/montreal-aafq-association-des-aides.html
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Jose Rizal - Noli Me Tangere - a novel MUST READ for all Filipina domestic maids who are the NEW WOMEN SLAVES of the WORLD TODAY!
Read more here about Noli Me Tangere and special quotations from Jose Rizal http://filipina-nannies-caregivers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/jose-rizal-quotations.html
IDLE SAINT JOSEPH CANNOT SPEAK AND CANNOT PROTECT CHILDREN and women and the poor
BOYCOTT ORATORY OF SAINT JOSEPH READ MORE HERE
