Software company Cisco Systems Inc. is introducing three paid days off as a benefit for new grandparents for all of its employees around the world. The benefit, which the company initially rolled out six months ago for its U.S. employees, came to Canada in March and will continue to expand to other countries. “By the end of the year […]
SurveyMonkey Inc. is introducing health benefits, improved time-off policies and transportation subsidies for its contract employees and those who work with the company through third-party commercial services. Working with California-based i2i Benefits and Insurance Services, the company developed a benefits framework for its on-site contract workers and vendor partners, including its janitorial and food service providers. The company […]
Following in the footsteps of other Canadian provinces, Quebec has introduced a bill to amend its labour laws that includes changes to sick leave entitlements. Currently, employees in Quebec can take to up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave annually due to sickness, organ or tissue donation, an accident, domestic violence or a criminal offence. The latest proposals include two […]
New legislation mandating equal pay for equal work will take effect in Ontario on April 1. Under the rules, casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees can’t be paid at a rate of pay less than full-time or permanent employees if they do substantially the same kind of work, in the same establishment; their work requires substantially […]
The new five-week parental sharing benefit announced in the 2018 federal budget is causing some concern among employers. Commenting on Benefits Canada’s website, Asha Mohammed, director of human resources and payroll at Centennial College’s Tribute Communities, asked: “Why a new leave again? This is such an expense to employers who are already stressed with all the leaves.” Dan Kelly, […]
While some workplaces may find it difficult to accommodate flexibility for employees with caregiving responsibilities, employers should be creative, according to one human resources consultant. “To me, I feel like it’s not that difficult to do,” Helen Patterson, a consultant at Life Works Well, told an audience at the Human Resources Professionals Association conference in Toronto on Friday. “Flexibility is not […]
The federal government only recently revamped parental leave, but it’s already looking at even further changes through a dedicated paternity leave. In a report this week, The Canadian Press cited multiple sources who suggested the government is considering options such as a new benefit, similar to a program in Quebec, that would earmark a portion of […]
About a quarter (23 per cent) of full-time American employees don’t receive workplace benefits such as health insurance, paid vacation or a retirement savings plan, according to a survey by business-to-business research firm Clutch. The survey also found that health insurance is the benefit most valued by employees, with 55 per cent reporting it has the […]
New labour law changes, particularly enhanced leave provisions in Ontario, are likely to increase costs and administrative challenges for employers, according to one expert. Amendments in Ontario’s Bill 148, which took effect on Jan. 1, include 10 days of personal emergency leave, two of which are paid; a new domestic violence leave of 10 days, five […]
With 2017 coming to a close and 2018 on the horizon, professionals in the pension, investment, benefits and human resources industries have a number of dates to add to their calendars for the new year. Jan. 1: Ontario’s new youth pharmacare program takes effect. It will provide universal coverage of all medicines listed in the Ontario Drug Benefit […]