Starting in 2019, Etsy Inc. employees will be allowed to trade in up to 14 weeks of parental leave for a cash payment to help with childcare or other family-friendly support as they return to the workplace. The e-commerce company is also introducing access to back-up childcare services, extending paid family leave to all global staff and is providing the option […]
More employers are adding unique perks to their traditional benefits packages to meet the changing demands of their workforces, according to a new study by human resources association WorldatWork and management consulting firm Korn Ferry. The study, which surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. employers, found more organizations are offering unique benefits such as employee discounts, eldercare resource and referral services, telemedicine […]
In the first year since the federal government made changes to employment insurance benefits aimed at helping caregivers and new parents, it has received more than 8,300 caregiving benefits claims. The government expects that number to grow, estimating about 22,000 claims for caregiving benefits by fall 2019. It also found that, as of September 2018, more […]
The British American Tobacco Group is rolling out a range of new parental benefits for its 55,000 global employees. The aim of the new benefits, which will be effective Jan. 1, 2019, is to help new parents balance their home and work lives during the first year of parenthood. It includes a minimum of 16 weeks’ fully […]
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 […]
A Quebec-based not-for-profit organization is suggesting a series of public policy proposals to encourage fathers in the province to take more parental leave and prompt employers to focus more on work-life balance. The Regroupement pour la valorisation de la paternité has identified five specific challenges faced by fathers. In the case of parental leave, it noted that fathers in […]
Expanded leave of absence entitlements in British Columbia, including parental and compassionate leave, took effect at the end of May. The changes to the province’s Employment Standards Act allow mothers to start their maternity leave as early as 13 weeks before their expected due date, which is up from the previous 11 weeks. The province also […]
Canada’s top small and medium employers are offering their employees some unique human resources programs, including a retreat in British Columbia and recognition tokens that can be redeemed through an online store. According to Mediacorp Canada Inc.’s annual awards, Edmonton-based real estate developer Rohit Group of Companies provides employees with an annual retreat to a resort in […]
More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of American employers believe their employees are satisfied with the current benefits offering, but just 52 per cent of employees report being satisfied, according to a survey by business research organization LIMRA. When broken down by generation, the survey, which polled more than 1,000 U.S. employers and 2,500 employees, found generation X employees are […]
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, […]