In the old days, many employers served up one option for employees: work 9-to-5 in the office. Then the pandemic hit. For the past 18 months and counting, office workers around the globe have worked everywhere from their beds to their balconies to their backyards and many have logged hours in between helping kids with […]
Early in Shannan Corey’s pension career, many of the boards she worked with were dominated by men over the age of 50. Corey, now executive director of the Saskatchewan Pension Plan, recalls one particular board meeting she attended when her company’s actuary, also male, wasn’t able to attend. “I was in my 30s and still […]
Microsoft Corp. is pushing back its return-to-office date in the U.S. indefinitely amid rising uncertainty due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. While the technology company had originally planned to reopen its Redmond, Wash., headquarters and other U.S. offices on Oct. 4, those plans have “shifted,” according to a company blog post written by Jared Spataro, […]
With the price of consumer goods, from hot dogs to houses, rising steadily in Canada, some employers are thinking outside the benefits box to help ease the cost of living burden for employees and provide support beyond raising wages. According to Statistics Canada’s latest consumer pricing report, the inflation rate rose 3.7 per cent on […]
More than half (60 per cent) of employees said their employer is communicating a return-to-workplace strategy, according to a new survey by Maru Public Opinion for ADP Canada Co. Of the working Canadians who said they’ve received a plan, more than half (53 per cent) are already back in the office. An additional 29 per […]
Just over half (56 per cent) of Canadian senior managers said they’ll expect their teams to be onsite full time once restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic completely lift, according to a new survey by Robert Half Canada Inc. While a complete return to in-office work is the preference of survey respondents, almost a third […]
At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Julie Gaudry and her colleagues in the industry braced themselves for a surge in disability claims that never came to fruition. “We didn’t know what the prevalence of this virus would be . . . and how significantly it would make people ill,” said Gaudry, head of group […]
Almost one in five (19 per cent) employees currently working from home said they’d consider quitting immediately if their employer demanded they return to the office full time, according to a new survey by the Angus Reid Institute. More than a third (39 per cent) said they’d head back to the office without much issue, […]
The past year and a half has been characterized by marked change. The move to remote work, industry layoffs and the desire for more robust support left plan sponsors and consultants rapidly altering the ways they work together. Certain trends, such as virtual care, mental-health support, changing retirement needs and industry consolidation have slowly been […]
Thierry Miras, Schneider Electric’s vice-president of human resources in Canada, discusses embracing workplace inclusivity, flexible working and the Toronto Raptors. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. The past year has brought unexpected challenges. As we still face uncertainty, one fact remains true: businesses must put employees first. We’re going to […]