This time of year, Citigroup Inc.’s fitness centre would likely usually be packed with New Year’s resolutioners working out and catching up with colleagues. Not this January. The company’s Mississauga, Ont., fitness centre was a popular place for its employees to break a sweat together. But when the coronavirus pandemic halted in-person activities last March, the […]
As we approach the end of a truly challenging year with more uncertainty on the horizon for 2021, people all over the globe are adjusting to the new realities of their personal and professional lives. No one is unaffected. In a broad sense, the world of employment is now divided between people working at home […]
While professional services company Accenture has long been supportive of its working parents, it introduced a new backup childcare program in 2020 to help employees with the challenges precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic. “When the pandemic hit, our working parents found themselves homeschooling their kids while juggling the demands of remote work,” says Susan Goodyer, […]
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is bringing the topic of wills and estate planning out of the dark and into the light for some employers. Mainstream news reports and personal social media feeds often mention daily death counts as the world battles the second wave. In response, some employers are starting to more openly talk about and […]
‘Tis the season for employers finding unique ways to mark the holiday season during the coronavirus pandemic. When the December holiday season rolls around, Rogers Communication Inc. staff usually work as efficiently as elves to transform the Rogers Centre into a carnival. They arrange for midway rides to sit in the Toronto ballpark and hire […]
Employee share purchase plans are enduring the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, despite dips in stock prices for some sectors, says Scott Anderson, regional vice-president of employee benefits at Hub International Ltd. “There are companies in the transportation and entertainment industries that have taken major hits, but for the most part they’re doing their [employee share purchase […]
Employee benefits and total rewards planning have always been a critical element of business planning, but never more so than during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Mercer Canada conducted a recent client poll which showed that unlike previous years, most Canadian organizations still had not set their salary adjustment budget for 2021 as of early November. While […]
Being an office worker used to mean going to an office. Not anymore. A new day has already dawned for many, including the City of Toronto’s 14,500 white-collar employees, who’ve been working at home since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March. The quick switch to working from home wasn’t without some hiccups and skeptics at first, […]
In lieu of traditional end-of-year company celebration events and gifts, Manulife Financial Corp. is giving its 35,000 employees around the world $50 each and encouraging them to “pay it forward” this holiday season. In recognition of the hardships endured by many this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the insurer is encouraging its employees to donate to individuals […]
Environmental, social and governance factors are an important dimension of fundamental analysis, said Jenn-Hui Tan, global head of stewardship and sustainable investing at Fidelity International, when speaking at the Canadian Investment Review’s Investment Innovation Conference in November. Traditional fundamental analysis captures topics including financial performance, the pricing power of a company, its competitive advantages, the […]