Latest news with #YourVoice
Cision Canada
18-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Nearly three in five small businesses worry the U.S.-Canada trade war could impact their summer tourism season Français
TORONTO, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ - The summer tourism season is here, and 58% of small business owners are concerned the U.S.-Canada trade dispute will be disruptive, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). "For many businesses, summer is a make-or-break season. Tourism operators in particular count on summer revenues to get ahead of their debt and high costs," said Louis-Philippe Gauthier, CFIB's vice-president for the Atlantic region. This year, almost 40% of businesses expect summer tourism revenue to remain the same as last year, while about equal shares expect either higher or lower revenues. New data from CFIB found that 37% of those surveyed noticed changes in tourists' behaviour. Among those, 58% of businesses are seeing growing interest from Canadian travelers, and 37% noticed visitors choosing more affordable options for goods or services. Cross-border travel takes a hit amid trade tensions A public opinion poll conducted by CFIB with members of the Angus Reid Forum found that 10% of Canadians have canceled their business travel to the U.S and 22% cancelled their personal travel. Among those who have finalized their travel plans or have yet to do so, 56% plan to travel within their province, 51% elsewhere in Canada, and 21% elsewhere in the world other than the U.S. Only 11% are travelling or looking to travel to the U.S. this summer. "With more Canadians looking to stay within the country this summer, now is a great opportunity to explore our local businesses and communities and keep the loonies local. Every time Canadians choose to shop at a local small business, 66 cents of every dollar stays in the local economy," Gauthier added. To help the tourism industry, CFIB urges all three levels of government to reduce permit and licensing requirements while actively promoting buying local and travelling within and to Canada. "The tourism sector is one of the largest employers in Canada, and most tourism operators are small businesses," said Kalith Nanayakkara, CFIB's senior policy analyst for B.C. "Governments and Canadians have a significant role in strengthening our economy and supporting independent local businesses. We encourage people from coast to coast to get out and explore their communities, their provinces and their country this summer to create new memories and help give small businesses a much-needed boost." Methodology The Your Voice survey was conducted online, in English and French, from May 6 to June 2 and received 2,190 responses from Canadian business owners. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of +/- 2.09%, 19 times out of 20. The public opinion poll was conducted online, in English and French, by CFIB from June 6 to 9, with a representative sample of 1501 adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of +/-2.53%, 19 times out of 20. About CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners' chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Paternity leave is outdated and unequal, MPs say
The UK's statutory parental leave system is "one of the worst in the developed world" and has "fundamental flaws", a group of cross-party MPs has said. A report published today by the Women and Equalities Committee said paternity leave rules "entrench outdated gender stereotypes". It added that "bold" action is needed, but warned any changes would require significant investment. A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said the government is carrying out a review to see how it best can support working families. Introduced in 2003, statutory paternity leave allows most new fathers and second parents in the UK to take up to two weeks off work. It applies to all partners, regardless of gender, after the birth, surrogacy or adoption of a baby. Those eligible receive £187.18 a week or 90% of their average earnings, whichever is lower. This works out as less than 50% of the National Living Wage and fathers are ineligible for statutory paternity leave if they are self-employed or earn less than £123 a week. Give new dads the same job rights as mums, MP says Shared parental leave skewed against lower earning families, analysis shows Father could not afford paternity leave to care for ill baby The report says this is "completely out of kilter with the cost of living" and suggests the government should consider increasing paternity pay to 90% or more and paternity leave to six weeks in a phased approach. It recommends both aspects should be done during this Parliament. Highlighting how paternity leave has not changed noticeably since its introduction more than two decades ago, the report says: "We now have one of the worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world." In Spain, new dads can take 16 weeks off work at full pay. New rules introduced in France in 2021 mean working dads can now spend 28 days at home while being paid. Families in Sweden are entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave, with 90 days reserved for fathers. As part of Your Voice, Your BBC News we are covering the stories that matter most to you and several dads have been in touch about paternity leave. James Yeates, from Haverhill, Suffolk, says it was "horrible" having to return to work just two weeks after his son, Luca, was born in September 2024. Although he says the birth of his son was "the happiest moment of my life", he soon felt as though he was leaving his partner "in the lurch". "There would be times when my partner was struggling and I'd have to leave to go to work," he said. "I felt like I was letting her down and letting my son down." James works for the NHS, who topped up his statutory paternity pay to 100% of his usual salary, but feels as though he was prevented from being "a more present parent". The WEC report also looked at shared parental leave, which was introduced in 2014 and allows parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay after the birth or adoption of a child. But the review found many families considered it "unnecessarily complex" and "burdensome". It is used in fewer than 2% of all births and a government review from 2023 suggests almost half (45%) of all dads were not even aware shared parental leave was an option. The report has been released on the eve of the world's first dad strike. Hundreds of fathers are expected to picket outside the Department for Business and Trade in London on Wednesday to call for an overhaul of the UK's parental leave policies. New research by The Dad Shift and Shaun Davies MP suggests that just 3% of money spent on parental leave in the UK supports fathers and non-birthing parents. Information provided by employers to HMRC shows that £3.3bn was spent on statutory maternity pay in 2023/24. Across the same period, £69m was spent on paternity pay and £34.4m statutory shared parental pay. George Gabriel, co-founder of the Dad Shift, said paternity leave laws mean dads often have to go back to work before their two-week paternity leave ends. "The pie is small and the crumbs left for dads and non-birthing parents are honestly pretty pitiful," he said. Kathy Jones, chief executive of the Fatherhood Institute, said she welcomed many of the findings of the report, but said "families shouldn't have to wait until the next Parliament for this to come in". The government said its forthcoming review, which is due before mid-July, would look at all current parental leave entitlements. A spokesperson added it is already in the process of ensuring dads no longer need to be employed for 26 weeks to be entitled to paternity leave. "This government is committed to making sure parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and home lives," they said. Additional reporting from George Walker.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
People on £10,000 to £96,000 tell us what they want from the Spending Review
This week the government will set out how much it is going to spend over the next four years on the public services that millions of people use every day. That includes the NHS, schools and public transport as well as welfare benefits, armed forces, energy projects and a whole range of other government spending. We asked a handful of readers, who had contacted the BBC via Your Voice, Your BBC News, what they would like to see in Wednesday's announcement. Lewis Eager, 26, works two shifts a week in the on-demand delivery service for a supermarket in Southend-on-Sea, earning £850 a month. He lives with his parents who he pays £120 a month. He would like the Spending Review to include a plan to help young people like him find well-paid, full-time jobs. Lewis completed a business administration apprenticeship and an Open University degree, but says he cannot find full-time work. He estimates he has applied for more than 4,000 jobs without success. "Getting knocked down all the time is horrible." Even entry-level jobs seem to require experience, he says. He sees a "looming crisis" among young people unable to get on the jobs ladder, and would like to see more money go into adult education. "I live with my parents which I have nothing against, but I thought I would have achieved more by now," he says. Resheka Senior, 39, is a nursery nurse and her husband Marcus, 49, a school caretaker. Between them they take home more than £50,000 a year. But the couple say they are still struggling, particularly while Resheka is on maternity leave. When she goes back to work, Resheka says she won't be much better off because she will have to pay for childcare before and after school for her five-year-old and all day for the younger children, aged two and nine-months. They have debts that they are shuffling between credit cards and no prospect of moving out of their two-bedroom council flat in Woolwich, London. "I don't want to stay at home. I've been working since I was 15 years old," says Resheka. But she would like to see more support for couples who are "making an honest living". She wants the government to pay for free breakfast and afterschool clubs or more free childcare on top of the 30 hours a week currently provided. "It's not as if I'm saying I want benefits," she says. "We're putting back into the economy. We just need some help." Ollie Vass works for a nutritional supplement company, where he earns £31,000. His girlfriend Grace Sangster also 19 is on an apprenticeship scheme earning £40,000. They each started saving from the age of 13, earning money mowing lawns and working in restaurants. In April, with the help of a small inheritance and their Lifetime ISAs, the couple completed on a £360,000 two-bedroomed terraced house near Slough. Ollie and Grace would like to see more support for young people starting out, especially first-time buyers, and more apprenticeships. They also think the tax-free allowance, which has been frozen since 2021 should rise so that people on low wages can keep more of their earnings. Ollie also wants to see cheaper rail fares: "At the moment it's too expensive to use." Leah Daniel, 23, and her partner are entitled to £800 a month in Universal Credit and the council pays £900 a month rent for the flat in Birmingham they share with their two-year old daughter. But currently around £100 a month is being deducted from their Universal Credit to pay for advances they took while homeless for a short time. Leah says they run out of money every month and have to borrow from friends and family, sometimes having to skip meals to make sure their daughter is fed. If the government decides to cut the welfare budget in the Spending Review, that would be "absolutely heartless", she says. "It's one thing to make sure the country's growing and we aren't wasting money and people aren't taking advantage of the system. "It's another thing if you aren't giving more support to help people out of poverty and help them look for work," she says. Above all she and her partner want stable jobs so they can "build up their lives". "So many times we haven't eaten and we're worried about tomorrow," she says. "I just want this situation to change." As a GP and practice partner earning £96,000 a year, Dr Kirsty Rogerson says she is aware she is well-off. She and her husband, a hospital consultant, own their own house, and are putting some money aside to support their sons through university. But she sees plenty of people in her surgery in Sheffield who aren't so fortunate and face what she thinks are impossible choices. If she could choose one thing for the government to take action on it would be to subsidise fresh fruit and vegetables and make processed food more expensive. "What [the government] shouldn't be doing is just tackling it at the other end with weight loss drugs," she says. "That's going to bankrupt the NHS." She would also like to see more money spent on public services. "As a mother, I'd rather pay more tax and know my children were being well educated and there's a good healthcare system," says Dr Kirsty Rogerson. The same goes for the police. "I'd rather go to bed each night knowing those things were there," she says. Sylvia Cook, 72, used to sell accounting software, then published books about Greece, before she retired. Living on a pension of £20,000 means being careful with her outgoings, so she welcomes the government's u-turn on winter fuel payments as "a good decision, if a little late". The extra £200 "obviously eases things", she says. But in general she thinks that rather than increasing spending, the government should look at where it can save money. "You can spend a lot of money and achieve nothing," she says. Instead she suggests changes to the tax system, efficiency savings across government and cutting perks for MPs and civil servants. "There are so many inefficient things they haven't got the common sense to sort out." The health service is a case in point she says. "Throwing more money at the NHS doesn't necessarily help if they don't sort that out," she says.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No money left at the end of the month and smaller food shops: How inflation rise affects you
The UK rate of inflation rose by 3.5% in the year to April, a much bigger increase than expected. The jump was mostly fuelled by rises in household bills such as gas, electricity and, in particular, water. The minimum wage and some benefits were increased last month, but for many it does not cover their day-to-day costs. People have contacted the BBC through Your Voice, Your BBC News or spoken to us about the rising cost of living and how they are dealing with it. Tracy McGuigan-Haigh, 47, told the BBC that the cost of everyday items has simply "gone too far". Tracy has a job in retail which she fits around looking after her 11-year-old daughter. She earns £1,200 a month and receives around £400 a month in Universal Credit payments - but this isn't stretching far enough. "Even on a budget, the supermarket shop is getting more and more expensive," she said. "Before, I'd have needed a trolley for £40 worth of food. Now, it doesn't even fill a basket, you can carry that much in your arms." Dealing with rising prices is a constant struggle. "I've juggled so much that I've dropped balls," said Tracy. "Somebody's going 'it'll get better' but even if it does improve now, what's the support for the people who are down there, who are on the floor?" Ieuan Hood, a single father of three, is meticulous when it comes to his finances - he knows where every penny is going. The 30-year-old, who works full-time at a call centre near Huddersfield, said that he receives universal credit on top of his wage. His benefit payments rose by 1.7% last month but that has been wiped out by higher bills. "It is almost as if it hasn't happened," he told the BBC. Ieuan said that his monthly wage is roughly £1,600. Universal credit bumps that up to £2,500 and he gets a further £240 for child benefit. "Saying it out loud it sounds like a lot of money," he said. "But the first bill that I pay every month is my childcare bill which is £1,700. "Rent is then £500, food shopping will be around £700, transport is £150. I also have water bills, energy bills, TV, phone and council tax. He said: "By the time it's finished there are some months when I'm looking at it and I have nothing left." Peter Murphy, aged 80 from Stockport, has a small teachers' pension, a state pension and his main BT pension, giving him a combined income of about £25,000 a year. The rising cost of living means he and his wife have cut back on foreign holidays. Peter told Your Voice, Your BBC News that inflation "leaves me poorer every year" because his pension isn't rising as fast as his bills. "There's only so much I can spend," he says. "My teacher's pension and BT pension rose by 1.8% in April. My BT broadband contract went up by 3% plus inflation at a higher rate, as did my mobile contract and all my other contracted services. Plus the level of service, like roaming was cut. "Rates and some foods I can understand." He says regulators like Ofcom "have the power to stop these recent practices, but don't".
Cision Canada
21-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
CFIB calls on Parliament to deal with unfinished business as sitting resumes Français
TORONTO, May 21, 2025 /CNW/ - As Parliament gets set to reconvene on May 26, nearly two-thirds (62%) of small business owners are not confident that Canada's new federal government is committed to supporting small business, finds new data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). "Parliament needs to act quickly to address some unfinished business that can provide some much-needed certainty and cost relief to small business owners. It's deeply worrisome and disappointing that the government is not planning to introduce a budget in this sitting as we need a budget to get some important tax policies across the finish line," said Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President of Advocacy at CFIB. Some of those key small business priorities that are urgently needed include: Tariffs: Ensuring that the money collected through Canadian counter tariffs is returned quickly to affected Canadian small businesses. Carbon tax: Passing legislation to formally eliminate the carbon tax and returning the remaining $600 million in 2024-25 carbon tax rebates to small businesses Tax-free rebates: Ensuring the small business carbon tax rebates are delivered tax free as promised. Other employer rebates, such as Workers' Compensation Boards (WCB) rebates, must also be delivered tax free to boost the economy. Capital gains: Delivering on the promised increase to the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption to $1.25 million and implementing the promised Canadian Entrepreneurs' Incentive which would lower capital gains taxes on up to $2 million following a business sale. Small business tax rate: Lowering the federal small business tax rate from 9% to 0% for the foreseeable future. Internal trade: Working with provinces to capitalize on the current momentum towards the elimination of internal trade barriers by adopting mutual recognition. "Ottawa needs to move as quickly as possible on economic and tax reduction policies. The cost of doing business is already high, and tariff-fueled uncertainty could cause irreversible damage if it's not addressed quickly. This government has a long list of outstanding promises to small business owners that it needs to address quickly. It has to provide a clear roadmap for the months ahead," said Jasmin Guenette, CFIB's vice-president of national affairs. Small business owners can sign CFIB's petition calling on the federal government to lower the costs of doing business. Methodology Your Voice – May 2025 survey – Launched May 6, 2025 (ongoing). Results as of May 13, based on 1,420 CFIB member responses. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.6%, 19 times out of 20. About CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners' chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at
