N.B. company promises wages for employees who run in 2018 election

A Saint John company is hopingto encourage more of its female employees to get involved in politicsby promisingto continue to paytheir salaries if they run inthe next provincial election.

InnovatiaCEOsDave Grebencand Roxanne Fairweather said they'll offer employees two months of full wages and benefits if they're nominated by any party as a candidate duringthe 2018 campaign.

The idea is to get more women involved in politics, though Grebencsaid the offer is open to all of Innovatia's employees.

If they don't win, they'll get their job back, he said.

"I think it's to a broader point of equality," he said."And we are just trying to do our part to drive it."

Move toward gender parity

Grebencsaid he learnedthe benefits of equality early on, growingup in a family with three boys and girls.

He saidFairweatherco-chairs the "Women for 50%"group, a grassrootsmovement that wants to bring gender parity to the floor of the New Brunswick Legislaturebydemystifying the political process and mentoring potential female candidatesahead of the 2018 provincial election.

Grebencadded that it doesn't matter what party an employee runs for.

"We fully expect that our employees are going to have different perspectives," he said. "But that's all part of the political process and we are here to support that."

We fully expect that our employees are going to have different perspectives. But that's all part of the political process and we are here to support that.- DaveGrebenc, Innovatia co-CEO

Innovatia launched the program this week and Grebenc said nobody has signed up so far. But they had an employee running in a previous election, he said.

The companynow wants other businesses to follow their lead, and also see more political parties push for a greater representation of women in politics, he said.

"Ithink this is a first step," he said. "As we engage with people that maybe take advantage of this, there is maybe more they can do."

No financial loss

Grebencadded that he doesn't expect the program will cost the company a lot more, as they also pay for employee's sick and maternity leaves.

Neither he or Fairweather want to run for politics, though. They'drather continue to contribute to the province's success through their business, he said.

"I believe fully that what I do in my spare time, same thing with Roxanne, and just the whole process of creating employment is critical for what we can do for our province," he said.

"But I think we as society need to drive this issue."