With the coronavirus pandemic set as the backdrop for the foreseeable future, employers are getting mixed signals about the best way to function safely and effectively. “You have to look at this from the perspective of [having] the federal government saying, ‘Here’s what we think you should do,'” says Kathleen Chevalier, partner at Stikeman Elliott […]
To say things have changed since I wrote my last editorial is a massive understatement. Of course, the early rumblings of the coronavirus pandemic were already underway in the early weeks of 2020, but they were still very far removed from Canada’s reality. At the time of writing these words in mid-April, worldwide coronavirus cases […]
Canadian pension rules and regulations are in need of reform in order to properly address the reality of the 21st century workplace pension landscape, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. The report, authored by Bob Baldwin, a pension industry veteran and chair of the C.D. Howe’s pension policy council, argued that the […]
Three-quarters (74 per cent) of Canadian employees who are working remotely said their manager has clearly communicated their expectations around remote work, according to a new survey conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of ADP Canada Co. However, the survey, which polled 500 remote-working Canadians, found respondents are split on how they feel about the […]
In April, Pride at Work Canada convened nine professionals across the country to discuss the specific impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on LGBTQ+ employees. “We wanted to ensure everyone was working together to gather nationwide perceptions because each jurisdiction is viewing things differently,” says Colin Druhan, the organization’s executive director. “We also wanted to guarantee […]
Many employers expect to maintain the flexible and remote-working policies they’ve recently put in place once the coronavirus pandemic is over, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson. The survey, which polled 200 U.S. employers, found 59 per cent said they expect their work-from-home policies will remain in effect after the pandemic, while […]
Before the coronavirus pandemic, 20 per cent of BMO Financial Group’s 45,000 employees were working from home on a fairly regular basis. Since March, that’s jumped to 80 per cent. “We have, of course, people who are in branches who need to go in and serve customers face to face, but we have schooled up our work […]
Over the last decade, the group benefits space has been all about digitizing documents and data, embracing a mobile-first mindset and urging plan sponsors and members to ditch paper and go online for a more customized experience. The next decade will build on all of that, pushing group benefits plans into the era of hyper-personalization, […]
At PCL Construction, employee ownership is built into the company culture and is a big part of total compensation. However, it’s created some apathy when it comes to the way employees approach their DC plans and prepare for retirement, according to Mike Olsson, the company’s vice-president of human resources and professional development. At the company’s […]
People across Canada are stressed out about money. In fact, 41 per cent of Canadians say money is their No. 1 source of stress, according to Karrina Dusablon, vice-president of market development and strategic solutions at Canada Life, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2020 DC Plan Summit in Montreal in February. Overall well-being is […]