Trust isn’t something organizations can build, but rather something they must earn, according to Dr. Rumeet Billan, president and chief executive officer at Viewpoint Leadership Inc. “We actually can’t build trust, because building trust assumes that we are in control of who will trust us and how much trust they’re going to give us — and […]
The Royal Bank of Canada is focusing on mental health to engage and retain employees as the bank shifts to a hybrid work model. While the bank already began upgrading its mental-health benefits in 2018, the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the need to continue supporting employee mental health, says Andrejka Massicotte, senior director of benefits and wellness […]
A new study is urging employers to transition from a traditional focus on employee benefits to one that covers job and work design, management, rewards practices, a commitment to psychological safety and fairness and a culture of employee listening. The Josh Bersin Co., a U.S.-based research and advisory company, examined 91 practices and programs in […]
The shift to remote working due to the coronavirus pandemic is helping 77 per cent of employees with chronic conditions and/or chronic pain miss less work, according to the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. Just over a third (34 per cent) of plan members said remote working definitely helped them miss less work due to their […]
More than 19 months into the coronavirus pandemic, employers are focusing on enhanced mental-health offerings and streamlined communications for their benefits and pension plans. During a virtual roundtable on Oct. 14, the 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards finalists discussed the changes brought about by the pandemic and how they’ve adapted their benefits and pensions offerings, while looking […]
Starbucks Canada is raising wages and benefits amid “critical staffing shortages” and a renewed commitment to the well-being of its workers. Beginning in January 2022, the company says its starting wages will be increased to a dollar above provincial minimums, while workers who’ve been with the company a year will receive a six to 10 per […]
An evolving program that’s holistically supporting employees during the coronavirus pandemic led to LifeLabs’ win for its mental-health program at the 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards on Oct. 14. Within the organization’s wellness program, which was launched in 2019, the emotional pillar includes: a separate annual maximum for mental-health practitioners through its flexible benefits plan; an expanded […]
A story looking at the award-winning strategy behind Canadian Forest Products Ltd.’s ongoing support for employees’ savings and retirement goals took the top spot over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Canfor wins award for educating employees on retirement savings 2. Ontario introducing right-to-disconnect legislation 3. Unvaccinated employees may […]
Three-quarters (74 per cent) of plan sponsors described the quality of their health benefits plan as excellent (22 per cent) or good (52 per cent), down from 80 per cent in January 2020, according to the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. It found employers with more than 500 employees were more likely to describe their plan […]
Roughly two-fifths (41 per cent) of plan sponsors reported offering virtual health-care services through their benefits plan, according to the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey. Among these plan sponsors, 33 per cent said they paid extra to add virtual care to their plan, while 67 per cent said it was part of their standard plan at […]