When employees at Accenture begin a gender transition, they have access to a comprehensive suite of benefits. In 2011, the global consulting firm became one of the first companies in Canada to cover costs related to transitioning. Zoya Zayler, inclusion and diversity lead for Canada, says the organization worked with its benefits provider to design a fulsome and customizable […]
In 2016, KPMG Canada’s benefits program was facing a perfect storm: the company was starting to see a change in its workforce’s needs; employees didn’t value some of its offerings, found the program difficult to understand and felt the pay and total rewards package weren’t competitive; and the organization’s new management team didn’t believe the […]
Compared to the preceding years, 2019 appears to be the year of steady when it comes to progress on hot topics that resonated in the industry in 2017 and 2018. While no single topic has disappeared from the slate, neither have any new ones risen to become topics of urgency among consultants. “Last year, we […]
When an employee has a health issue requiring expensive treatment, the associated high-cost claims can be significant for their benefits plan sponsor. But it’s impossible to predict when a large claim will arise, so stop-loss insurance, which takes the claim off the employer’s shoulders, is one option to help protect against these unexpected costs. As […]
Lululemon Athletica Inc.’s benefits program manager discusses engaging young employees with retirement savings, yoga benefits and riding his motorcycle to Whistler. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. I look after our retirement savings program, so the challenge we have is based on our demographics. All of our retail employees are fairly […]
Ontario Liberal leadership contender Steven Del Duca is proposing the creation of a basic group benefits package for workers in the province who are currently without one. As part of his so-called Economic Dignity Charter, the former Member of Provincial Parliament for Vaughan promised to create a portable, government-backed benefits program for the self-employed, contract employees and people […]
Employees at Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. are giving Unifor’s bargaining team a strong mandate to take strike action, if necessary, in the quest for a fair contract. The provisions of the contract include mental-health days, domestic violence leave and part-time hours, says Dan Bailey, national representative for Unifor. “We’re focusing in on mental health in the workplace, […]
Legal aid workers who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1949 have signed a tentative agreement that includes an increase in vision care benefits, sick and vacation leave and wages. “This is not just good news for our members, it’s a major victory for our most vulnerable citizens who rely on legal aid services […]
When fathers take paternity leave, it can actually benefit the health of new mothers, according to a study by economists at Stanford University. The study looked at the effects of a 2012 Swedish law that allows fathers to take up to 30 days off work, as needed, the year after the birth of a child, but […]
The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that an airport parking pass provided to a flight attendant by a commercial airline is an employee benefit for the purposes of income because he received “economic value” from the pass despite the fact that the employer provided it to improve its employees’ reliability and flexibility. “The established […]