Take your kids to work day happens all summer long at the Indianapolis campus of Roche’s diagnostics division. The drug company has hosted an on-site summer day camp for employees’ children since 2012 in an effort to better support parents and provide work-life balance, says Cody Adams, a consultant in employee engagement at Roche. “Employees have […]
Company-wide recognition programs are widespread, offered by 81 per cent of employers, according to World at Work’s latest trends in employee recognition report. The report, which surveyed employers in Canada and the United States, found 65 per cent of organizations offer between three and six different recognition programs. The top five recognition programs have remained […]
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently found an employer wasn’t liable for defamation when it provided a truthful — but negative — reference about a former employee. In Papp v. Stokes, the plaintiff, Adam Papp, worked as a staff economist for the defendant, Stokes Economic Consulting Inc. In 2013, the president of the company, […]
While the revitalized United States economy and strong financial markets are part of the story, the biggest factors affecting American employees’ financial optimism are tied to their personal situations, a study from Bank of America Merrill Lynch has found. The majority (87 per cent) of employees are optimistic about their financial future, including 48 per […]
The Ontario government has responded to the Ministry of Labour’s report on workplace standards with a number of proposed changes, including introducing paid personal emergency leave for all employees, increasing minimum vacation entitlements and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. “The economy has changed. Work has changed. It’s time our laws and protections […]
While 37 per cent of Canadian employees expect their workplace to focus more on employee health in the coming years, health and well-being ranked in the bottom three on employers’ list of their top talent management priorities this year, according to new research by Mercer. Its 2017 global talent trends study also found flexible working arrangements […]
Alberta has published proposed amendments to the province’s employment standards code and labour relations code that would support family-friendly workplaces and bring the province’s standards into alignment with the rest of Canada. If passed, the Fair and Family-Friendly Workplace Act, which is the first major overhaul of Alberta’s workplace rules in almost 30 years, would […]
Canadian employees continue to find it difficult to disconnect from the office when they’re on vacation, according to new research by staffing firm Accountemps. The survey of more than 400 Canadian office professionals found 33 per cent typically check in with the office at least once or twice a week during their vacation, which is […]
Ontario’s Ministry of Labour released a report today that makes 173 recommendations on provincial workplace standards, including employees’ entitlements to benefits. The report suggests numerous changes that would affect employers, says Craig Rix, a partner and employment lawyer at Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP in Toronto. “Employers will have to start thinking about how they can […]
Canadian employers are beginning to offer season-specific benefits as summer draws near, but what’s being offered doesn’t line up with what employees are looking for, according to a new survey by staffing agency OfficeTeam. The survey, which polled more than 400 human resources managers and more than 300 employees in office environments, found nearly half […]