Employees are mostly satisfied with employers’ communications around the coronavirus crisis, according to a new survey by Fierce Inc. The survey polled more than 1,000 people last week, prior to the World Health Organization declaring the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. It found nearly 70 per cent felt their employer was very or somewhat clearly communicating […]
The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is working to make counselling from Indigenous elders available to employees in several provinces through its employee assistance program. The APTN has reached out to six elders in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, with three to date confirming they’ll participate. Once the APTN has sufficient elders on board, […]
Canadian politicians, public health officials and chief executive officers have all urged Canadians to practice social distancing in a bid to “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus pandemic. Many global technology companies, including Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., Google and Twitter, ramped up work-from-home programs last week. And Ottawa-headquartered Shopify Inc. has emerged as a leader […]
While fewer than half (42 per cent) of U.S. employers are currently offering financial wellness programs, that number is set to almost double to 80 per cent by 2023, according to a survey by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. The survey, which questioned nearly 900 U.S. employers, found 90 per cent of respondents said their primary reason for […]
The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association has been conducting weekly calls with its members since mid-January to discuss issues around the ongoing coronavirus crisis, including how insurers can develop messaging and policies to communicate to plan sponsors. “We’ve basically been facilitating weekly calls to say, ‘OK, we have a very fluid situation.’ It changes […]
At Hydro Ottawa Ltd.’s third annual International Women’s Day event, employees were invited to solve 15 large puzzles around the room — and think about their own piece in the larger puzzle of working toward gender equality. International Women’s Day events have been a staple at Hydro Ottawa since 2018, with the company trying to connect […]
Back in 1709, the poet Alexander Pope wrote that a little learning is a dangerous thing and a new study of defined contribution pension plan members finds this proverb still holds true today. The Invesco study, which compiled responses from 110 U.S. plan sponsors and more than 2,000 DC plan members, found that, while some DC plan members were […]
Amid growing concern over the coronavirus, North American employers are taking steps to protect their employees, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson. The initiatives include launching employee communication campaigns, reviewing human resources policies, expanding the number of employees working remotely and restricting travel to and from countries deemed to be high risk. […]
While Pink Shirt Day started in elementary schools as a way to take a stand against bullying, the City of Vancouver uses the day to encourage a respectful workplace and educate its employees on what harassment looks like. For more than five years, the City has dovetailed its “Respect Works Here” campaign with Pink Shirt Day, says […]
CSA Group’s vice-president of total rewards talks mental health, well-being programs and travelling with her family. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. We’re in 13 countries and we have some global programs — our employee assistance program and business travel accident [insurance] — but then we also have to develop […]