Mandy Kwasnica and her husband so desperately wanted to adopt they were ready to sink all of their money (and then some) into making their dream a reality. “Adoption is very, very expensive, but we knew in our hearts that this was the right move we were making,” recalls the manager of mortgage sales support at […]
As more companies integrate diversity, equality and inclusion strategies into their workplaces, listening and leadership are among the keys to a successful program, according to a webinar hosted by Mercer Canada on Thursday. The company held a series of special listening sessions for staff following the deaths of Black civilians during police encounters in the […]
Manulife Financial Corp. is increasing its family leave support for Canadian employees, providing 20 weeks of paid maternity leave and 12 weeks of paid parental and adoption leave, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Canadian employees and their dependants also now have access to full gender affirmation coverage for both surgical and non-surgical treatments, as well as […]
BMO Financial Group is introducing a new diversity strategy that sets goals to address gaps affecting Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Latino and LGBTQ2+ employees, customers and communities. The new benchmarks and plans, which expand the bank’s multi-year diversity strategy set in 2017, includes doubling company-wide representation of Black senior leaders, accelerating Indigenous talent strategies, […]
Employers across Canada were forced to adjust their Pride celebrations in June as the coronavirus pandemic necessitated social distancing and most traditional parades and events were cancelled. “[The coronavirus] forced us to think about how to still create these communities we’re trying to build,” says Meryem Benslimane, equity education advisor at McGill University in Montreal. This year, the university took […]
In June 2017, the federal government amended the Canadian Human Rights Act to strengthen protections against employment discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals, forbidding employers across all jurisdictions to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. While the protections and language used by organizations can vary, the intent of the protections is […]
In April, Pride at Work Canada convened nine professionals across the country to discuss the specific impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on LGBTQ+ employees. “We wanted to ensure everyone was working together to gather nationwide perceptions because each jurisdiction is viewing things differently,” says Colin Druhan, the organization’s executive director. “We also wanted to guarantee […]
When employees at Accenture begin a gender transition, they have access to a comprehensive suite of benefits. In 2011, the global consulting firm became one of the first companies in Canada to cover costs related to transitioning. Zoya Zayler, inclusion and diversity lead for Canada, says the organization worked with its benefits provider to design a fulsome and customizable […]
Being out at work, as a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community, can be a tricky thing. As an educator, expressing pride in one’s identity isn’t just a chance to set an example for students, but to make life easier, more authentic and ultimately better for staff as well, says Corey Johnson, a professor at the […]