Sun Life Financial Inc. is supporting employees working in a hybrid arrangement with its new activity-based, people-focused workspace in Waterloo, Ont. “We’ve been on a journey of rethinking work since before the [coronavirus] pandemic,” says Helena Pagano, executive vice-president, chief people and culture officer at Sun Life. “We knew with changing employee expectations, increasing competition for […]
The agreement on remote and flexible work between public sector workers and the federal government could set the stage for future union negotiations, according to labour experts. “We’re basically entering a brand new phase of what we talk about in collective agreements, which includes workers’ autonomy over their time,” says Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and […]
The Public Service Alliance of Canada and the federal government have reached a tentative agreement for more than 120,000 workers, which includes new protections around remote work and wage increases. The tentative agreement, which ends a two-week strike, includes negotiated language that requires managers to assess remote work requests individually — not by group — and […]
The majority (70 per cent) of Canadian hybrid employees say they’re more productive than they were prior to the coronavirus pandemic, noting they have more time to relax after work (48 per cent) and enjoy work more (46 per cent), according to a new survey by IWG. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 Canadians […]
Most institutional investors say they’ve increased their reliance on content from social media in the investment decision-making process after adopting hybrid working environments, according to a new survey from Coalition Greenwich and commissioned by LinkedIn. The survey, which polled 232 senior investment professionals at pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and family offices in the […]
American Express Canada is providing a daily meal stipend and refreshments to employees who are working onsite. With most employees in a hybrid or remote working arrangement, these perks help recreate the work-from-home experience in the office and support employee financial well-being by reducing costs, says Annette Kingsley, AmEx Canada’s vice-president of colleague experience. Employees receive […]
The Royal Bank of Canada is asking its employees to return to the office three or four days per week, effective May 1. In an internal memo, the bank said its senior leaders will finalize plans and provide updates to individual teams in the coming weeks, according to a report by Reuters, which noted an […]
While three-quarters (74 per cent) of global employers say the purpose of their internal communications strategy is to shape workplace culture and create a sense of belonging, only 56 per cent believe their employees understand their organization’s strategy, according to a new survey by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. The survey, which polled more than […]
Three years ago this month, the world was grappling with the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Even then, with very little information available, people were beginning to turn their attention to the anticipated long-term ramifications of the public health crisis. With everyone experiencing this once-in-a-century moment simultaneously, no one had a response for how […]
During the coronavirus pandemic, most people were forced to work remotely and create makeshift offices in spaces that weren’t designed for that purpose. The result is a serious impact on musculoskeletal issues. Dr. Ayla Azad, interim chief executive officer of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, says remote and hybrid work are having a major effect on […]