The Senate gave quick approval Thursday to a new round of coronavirus pandemic aid after federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland made a pre-holiday plea to rubber-stamp the help and promised that benefits would flow quickly to employers and employees in need. Bill C-2 would provide targeted aid to businesses that are ordered closed and to […]
Several Canadian financial institutions are delaying their return-to-office plans as concerns increase about the highly-transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant. Scotiabank is pausing a planned return to the workplace for head office employees, following the latest coronavirus pandemic guidance from the Ontario government. In an emailed statement to Benefits Canada, a spokesperson from the bank said timing […]
Almost all (94 per cent) small- to medium-sized Canadian employers offer a benefits plan, according to a new survey by Humi. The survey, which polled the organization’s employer clients, found slightly more than a third (42 per cent) of respondents said they’re paying for the full cost of benefits premiums. However, when it comes to […]
SAP Canada is launching a benefits platform to help guide employees who identify as women through their motherhood journey. Launched last month, the platform is available to women who’re expecting, including via birth, adoption and/or surrogacy. It’s designed to support female employees expecting children, from having/welcoming a baby to taking maternity leave to returning to […]
With the shift to working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, some leaders are concerned about what employees are actually doing, or not doing, during the workday. Howard Levitt, senior partner at Levitt Sheikh LLP Yes, time theft is a concern when it comes to remote work. A study by Aternity Inc. found overall productivity […]
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 […]
Angry mobs of anti-vaccination protestors holding up handmade signs with messages like “freedom not fear” have been popping up across the country and around the globe for months. Emotions continue to run high both on the streets and within organizations grappling with how to move forward amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But employers looking to […]
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 […]
The government is open to amending legislation that would provide 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated workers. Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan acknowledged that at least two provisions in the legislation, Bill C-3, could undermine the objective, which is to ensure ill workers don’t have to choose between going to work sick or staying home without […]
The federal government is extending several coronavirus pandemic aid measures as the pandemic rages on. During the economic and fiscal update on Tuesday, the government announced it’s extending the simplified rules for deducting home office expenses and increasing the temporary flat rate from $400 to $500 annually. In 2020, the government set out a temporary flat-rate […]