I am woman. Hear me roar. It may seem a rather cliched way to open my first editorial for Benefits Canada, but it’s no exaggeration to say 2018 has been a watershed year for bringing attention to gender equality and diversity on a global scale. And whether we’re whispering, shouting or roaring, I believe we […]
Just six months after a City of Calgary employee started her job as a tractor-trailer driver, everything started to go wrong. Her foreman and indirect supervisor both ignored her concerns about the workload, insisting she simply wasn’t trying hard enough. They mocked her appearance, spread rumours she was having an affair with a colleague and […]
While total rewards were once based on pay and benefits in an attempt to cultivate long-term employee loyalty, the concept has evolved, according to Mercer Canada’s Gordon Frost. “We are focusing more on, in addition to pay and benefits, things like achievement, camaraderie, do we have equity in our pay?” said Frost, partner and career business leader, during a Mercer event […]
With a growing number of commuters in Britain using free Wifi on their journey to and from the workplace to catch up on work emails, is it time for the daily commute to be counted as part of the working day? A new study by the University of the West of England, Bristol surveyed 5,000 passengers on […]
The federal government has published its findings from nearly a year of consultations on federal labour standards with Canadian citizens, unions, labour organizations, employers, employer organizations and other stakeholders. “We heard one strong message throughout the consultations: the way Canadians work has changed, but federal labour standards have not,” said Patty Hajdu, minister of Employment, Workforce […]
Two-thirds (69 per cent) of working parents have either left or considered leaving a job due to lack of flexibility, according to a survey by FlexJobs. The survey, which questioned more than 1,000 working parents in the United States with children under age 18, also found 84 per cent of respondents said they look for work-life balance when considering […]
When my fiancée and I decided to get a puppy in July, one of the first decisions we faced was whether or not to get pet insurance. In the past, I had a dog with a number of medical issues, so insurance appealed to me. However, after looking at the cost breakdown and the fact that a lot […]
On Oct. 17, 2018, it will be legal to purchase and consume recreational cannabis in Canada. In a recent survey of Mercer’s employer clients and Canadian employees, we found 78 per cent of respondents believe the legalization of recreational cannabis is a concern for human resources leaders. In addition, nearly half (45 per cent) of respondents believe it’s a concern for […]
Canadian employers are offering additional benefits, flexible working opportunities and broadening their view of talent pools to fill job openings, according to a new survey by ManpowerGroup Canada. The survey, which polled 2,000 employers, found 41 per cent of survey respondents are having difficulty filling vacancies. Positions in the skilled trades such as electricians, welders […]
One-third of Canadian employers feel prepared for the impending legalization of cannabis, according to a new survey by Mercer Canada. The survey, which polled 366 Canadian employers and more than 1,000 employees, found another third feels somewhat prepared and 27 per cent of employees feel their employer is ready. Among leadership, 78 per cent of human resources leaders, […]