As summer winds down and classrooms fill up, many employees find themselves juggling work with the demands of the school year. For employers, this season often brings an increase in scheduling requests, last-minute absences, and questions about leave entitlements. Understanding your legal obligations and adopting flexible, proactive practices can help you stay compliant while keeping morale high.
Accommodating Back-to-School Schedules
It’s common for employees to request adjustments to their hours when school starts, whether to accommodate drop-offs, pick-ups, or extracurricular activities. While there’s no blanket requirement to approve every request, employers must consider their obligations under human rights legislation.
Family status is a protected ground in every province and territory. If an employee’s childcare responsibilities conflict with their work schedule, you may have a duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship. Accommodation could include:
- Adjusting start and end times
- Allowing remote work on certain days
- Permitting shift swaps between employees
Employers should handle these requests consistently, document the process, and ensure any denial is based on legitimate operational or safety reasons, not assumptions about what is “reasonable” for parents.
Not every situation involving family or caregiving responsibilities will trigger an employer’s duty to accommodate. The duty only comes up when a workplace rule or requirement puts employees with serious caregiving duties at a disadvantage by making things harder for them than for others, or by limiting their access to opportunities or benefits. If there is a real conflict between an important caregiving responsibility and a workplace rule or standard, the employer will likely need to find a way to accommodate.
Time Off for School Events and Appointments
Beyond schedule changes, employees may also need time away from work for parent-teacher meetings, school concerts, or medical appointments. Whether this time must be paid depends on the jurisdiction, the nature of the leave, and the employee’s contract or policy.
Under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA), for example, the Family Responsibility Leave provision allows up to three unpaid days each year for the illness, injury, medical emergency, or urgent matter of certain family members, including a child. In other provinces, similar personal or family responsibility leaves exist, often unpaid unless the employer offers paid options.
While these statutory leaves are generally unpaid, some workplaces provide paid personal days or flexible time banks. Proactively communicating the available leave options in advance of the school year can reduce confusion and last-minute stress.
School Closures and Sick Kids
Unexpected school closures, from inclement weather to public health concerns, can leave working parents scrambling. Similarly, when a child wakes up sick, employees may have no choice but to miss work.
Most provinces’ family responsibility or personal leave provisions cover these scenarios, though the length and pay status vary. In Ontario, for example, the ESA’s Family Responsibility Leave applies, but is unpaid. Employers can choose to allow the use of vacation, personal, or lieu time for such absences, which can soften the financial impact for employees. Additionally, employers may allow flexible arrangements or remote work in these situations.
From a practical standpoint, having a clear, well-communicated policy for emergency absences can help managers respond consistently. Consider:
- Allowing remote work where possible
- Encouraging cross-training so coverage is available
- Using collaborative scheduling tools to streamline shift coverage
Key Takeaways for Employers
Back-to-school challenges aren’t just an employee issue; they’re a workplace reality. By understanding your legal obligations under provincial employment standards and human rights laws, and by building in flexibility where possible, you can support your team without compromising operations.
Proactive planning, through updated policies, manager training, and open communication, can help reduce disruption, maintain productivity, and foster a workplace culture where employees feel valued and supported.
Need guidance on back-to-school workplace issues? Connect with our team for tailored advice.
