The firm’s benefits, pension and well-being leader discusses diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, destigmatizing mental illness and improving her sewing skills. Q: What new programs or initiatives are you looking to implement? A: This year, we launched a reimagined benefits program that included a variety of DEI-focused benefits. In the coming year, we’re looking to […]
Quebec-based consulting firm Big Bang ERP Inc. is supporting employee well-being through a focus on social and personal wellness, as well as enhanced benefits. Through its wellness committee, known as SoWell, the employer organizes group activities like sports or games nights, as well as yoga classes, healthy lunches and mindfulness mornings, says Julie Brunet, director of […]
Nearly a third (32 per cent) of Canadian employees say they’re feeling tired or overworked on the job, posing concerns about a correlation between boundaries and burnout, according to a new survey by ADP Canada. The survey, which polled more than 700 Canadian employees, found although two-thirds (67 per cent) feel satisfied in the workplace, […]
Canada’s employment insurance system requires modernization to weather negative economic shocks, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. The report, which analyzed unemployment rates across Canada over 13 years, found 85 per cent of the variation in rates reflects provincial differences, including layoffs occurring in regions characterized by persistent high unemployment rates […]
Eight in 10 (80 per cent) small- and medium-sized employers in Eastern Canada say they don’t provide employee benefits, according to a new survey for Medavie Blue Cross by Abacus Data. The survey, which polled SMEs and SME workers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, found a third (35 per cent) of SMEs that don’t […]
An article on Ontario’s incoming electronic monitoring policy was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Ontario’s electronic monitoring policy ensures employer transparency: lawyer 2. Expert panel: How employers, employees can mitigate workplace microaggressions 3. Majority of plan sponsors, plan members view their health benefits […]
Canada’s gender pension gap is growing as Canadian women received an average of 18 per cent less retirement income than men in 2020, according to a report by Ontario’s pay equity office. It found the gap is more pronounced among women in visible minority groups (37 per cent), among sources of private retirement income (28 per […]
Employers with a workplace culture that promotes employee recognition and connection have more productive and engaged workers, according to a new survey by Workhuman and Gallup Inc. The survey, which polled more than 7,500 full- or part-time working adults in the U.S., found among those who strongly agreed recognition is an important part of their workplace culture […]
Thomson Reuters Corp. is marking Mental Illness Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day with the launch of a new mindfulness practice. The practice, called ‘be purposefully present,’ is the result of employee discussions and research conducted throughout the year, says Mary Alice Vuicic, chief people officer at Thomson Reuters. “We [want to help] employees adopt a new […]
In the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, Shopify Inc.’s chief executive officer Tobi Lutke was among the first technology leaders to declare most of his staff would “permanently work remotely” because “office centricity is over.” His belief in remote work went so far that he even dropped listing Ottawa as the e-commerce giant’s headquarters […]