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Issue #21 12.11.2026
The weekly standup
Everything you need to know before you have to microwave your coffee (for the first time).
🛂
Job offers are back on the Express Entry scorecard.
🕵️
AI has an alibi for the youth hiring slump.
💸
The budget is here. Can a tax break fix productivity?
The office chatter ☕
What everyone’s pretending not to read during meetings.
🛂
Express Entry just started counting job offers again
As of November 3rd, job offers in high-wage occupations earn Express Entry points again, and a qualifying offer no longer needs an LMIA to earn them. Draws could pause for up to two weeks while the government recalculates scores. Looks like the job offer is back on the scorecard, just in time for the pause button. (IRCC)
🤖
AI found innocent of taking entry-level jobs
Young Canadians are struggling to land their first jobs, but Statistics Canada found no broad evidence that AI is driving the hiring slowdown. Even occupations less exposed to AI are seeing fewer new hires. Turns out the robots might be getting blamed for a job market that was already having a rough time. (Canadian Press)
Like what you’re reading?
The breakroom bulletin 📌
What’s hot, what’s not and what’s all for show
Getting promoted 📈
🏀
The 99.9% finally got a highlight reel
Brodie League started as a side hustle in Burlington and is now a $30 million business with 50,000-plus players. Players post their own highlights, so the league markets itself. It seems that everyone wants to see themselves on camera. (The Peak)
🛍
Your personal shopper now lives in the chat
Google has brought Gemini’s shopping checkout to Canada, with Lululemon, Simons and Shoppers Drug Mart on board. Gemini can pick the item, but the final click is yours. Turns out the bot does the browsing and you do the buying. (The Peak)
On a PIP 📉
💾
The AI bill is showing up at the till
Apple says memory prices are unprecedented, and Canadian device prices have climbed. Gap runs its loss-prevention AI on local Mac minis to skip cloud charges. Who knew the cheapest AI would be the computer you already paid for. (Retail Insider)
🏢
Retail rent is having a record year
RioCan reports record retail occupancy of 98.9%, and new leases are priced about 32% above existing rents. Tight supply is doing the work, and record occupancy is a record for one side of the lease. (Retail Insider)
Corporate Theatre 🎭
📸
The savings look great until you read the contract
Calvin Klein, L’Oréal and Mango are reportedly training AI on their models’ likenesses, and one startup says it cuts costs by 90%. Some contracts let brands reuse a face forever without paying for it again. The new model never sends an invoice. (The Peak)
🧸
Toys“R”Us is coming back, one shop-in-shop at a time
Toys“R”Us Canada is returning through shop-in-shops planned for nearly 300 Staples stores, after its operating company went bankrupt. Go ahead and file the comeback under office supplies. (Retail Insider)
Ideas worth stealing 💡
🛏
The best closer might be no closer
Ottawa’s Obasan has been in business since 1985 and sells all-organic mattresses with a no-pressure sales approach. The founder has turned down offers to sell, and it seems to be working. Who knew a $6,000 mattress could sell better when nobody’s pushing? (The Peak)
🚪 The best demo might be a walk-through
Employment Hero’s Canadian team swapped the usual product demo for The Showroom, a guided tour of our all-in-one platform for HR, payroll, benefits and hiring – with talent built in. Plus a sneak peek at what’s next! It ends with “Ask us anything,” which is basically a live dare.
The Thing I Can’t Stop Thinking About 🧠
Can a tax break fix a productivity problem?
📖
The story
Budget 2026 landed last week under the title Masters of our destiny. Among its business measures, the Productivity Mega Deduction lowers the marginal effective tax rate on new business investment from 13% to 6.4%, according to the government. The stated aim is to get businesses to invest, expand and increase productivity
📶
The signal
The budget’s bet is that cheaper investment will lift output. But the slide Desjardins measured earlier this year had people working more while output didn’t keep pace. That shows up in bloated meetings and systems that add dashboards instead of removing work. A tax break can make new investment cheaper, but it can’t shorten a meeting.
🛫
The takeaway
The question for employers isn’t whether Ottawa rewards investment. It’s whether the cheapest productivity gain is one that doesn’t need a budget line. Start with the work already happening. Which recurring meeting, report or approval has nobody defending it anymore? Cutting one is cheap, and no tax credit will do it for you.
Smart people saying smart things 💬
One post, tweet or take that’s making people in the world of work stop scrolling.
This week, investor Kevin O’Leary made the case that focus is what separates great entrepreneurs from the rest.
What makes me instantly out in business? A bad idea and an entrepreneur who cannot focus. Great entrepreneurs know how to separate signal from noise. That ability is rare, and you can usually spot it fast. Not everyone is meant to run a business, but the ones who can are the people who create companies, jobs, and economic growth. Don’t miss a new episode of #SharkTank tonight at 10/9c on ABC and stream on Hulu!
— Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) November 4, 2026
My music at work 🎵
One song helping us survive another week of impromptu Slack huddles.
The last thing before we jump 🦘
This week, the federal budget put productivity in the spotlight, a mattress company proved you can make a sale without making a pitch and a basketball league turned everyday players into its best marketing team.
The common thread? Sometimes the smartest business move is getting out of the way. Less friction, fewer unnecessary steps and a little more trust in the people doing the work.
Starting with that 3pm meeting nobody wanted to attend.
See you next week.
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