Roughly a quarter (23 per cent) of Canadians working exclusively at physical workplaces said their working lives have worsened since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, according to LifeWorks Inc.’s latest mental-health index. The survey — which was conducted between Nov. 9 and Nov. 22, 2021 and prior to the spread of the Omicron variant […]
The union representing employees at a Loblaw Co. Ltd. distribution centre in Ajax, Ont. has ratified a new four-year contract that will increase employer contributions to a group registered retirement savings plan. For workers with five or more years of service, the employer’s RRSP contribution match will increase to five per cent from 3.5 per […]
Once again, the end of year is near. Besides the extraordinary presence of vaccines and the movements in public health restrictions across the country, most Canadians are likely experiencing a significant déjà vu of late 2020. But despite a rather stagnant 2021, this year’s December issue heralds several promising signposts for the year ahead. We […]
When Kris Dalrymple (pictured) decided to come out as transgender at work he was a bit worried about the reaction. But those fears quickly disappeared after he sent out a company-wide email chronicling his journey to outwardly living as the person he feels like on the inside. “The second the email came out, it was […]
Hootsuite Inc.’s director of total rewards talks benefits in a remote working environment, the four pillars of wellness and recharging through physical activity. Q: What top challenges do you face in your role? A: Hootsuite is very big on diversity, equity and inclusion and we operate in multiple countries, so it’s a balance of finding […]
Commuting can be a pain point for some employees returning to the office, so a Victoria, B.C.-based software company is considering several ways to incentivize employees to come into the workplace. Redbrick is rolling out a $500 incentive that employees can use towards bicycles and cycling gear to encourage physical wellness and to offset the cost […]
Pinterest is expanding its parental and fertility benefits offerings, including the addition of two rounds of in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. The social media company’s enhanced benefits — available to all employees worldwide — also include a minimum of 20 weeks of parental leave for all parents, while adoptive parents will now have 20 weeks […]
A new report by the Ontario government’s advisory committee on the future of work is recommending the introduction of a new portable benefits program. The Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee, which delivered its interim report this summer, set out 21 recommendations, including supporting workers who fall outside the purview of traditional benefits programs. The report […]
With many employers eyeing a return to the office in 2022, it’s no surprise a story looking at how the City of Toronto and a range of national banks are rolling out return-to-workplace plans took the top spot over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. City […]
Recognized as the leading and most well-known event in workplace mental health for more than 15 years, Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Mental Health Summit, which was held virtually on Nov. 23-24, highlighted areas including links to disease impacts, treatment options, disability management and much more. Here’s what you missed: The importance of self-management in employee mental health How […]