When Finland introduced changes to its parental leave policy in 2022, it was specifically aimed at encouraging fathers to take as much time off work as mothers and recognizing a wider range of family structures. The changes apply to parents with children born after Sept. 4, 2022, and give both birth and non-birth parents 160 […]
The most prevalent minimum employee benefits that are offered by multinational companies are employee assistance programs and life insurance (73 per cent), maternity leave (70 per cent) and paternity leave (69 per cent), according to a new survey by Aon. The survey, which polled nearly 300 employers from across 31 countries, found these standard offerings […]
Okta Inc.’s enhanced parental leave benefit for non-birthing parents is helping more employees who are fathers take time off to bond with their newborn or adopted children. The software company is offering 18 weeks of parental leave topped up to 100 per cent of their full salary to non-birthing parents. Employees who use the benefit can […]
Norway, Sweden and Denmark offer the best parental work-life balance, according to a new study by Remote Technology Inc. The global study assessed the quality of parental work-life balance in 20 nations by analyzing factors like parental leave, annual leave entitlement and childcare costs. It found the Nordic nations had an exceptionally high expenditure on family […]
To help working mothers with the sometimes overwhelming task of maintaining a work-life balance, employers can invest in inclusive, flexible policies and provide support when parents return to work, says Christine Tatham, chief people officer at Redbrick. Early in Tatham’s career and after having her first baby, a former boss asked her if she wanted […]
Family-building benefits can go a long way in supporting employers’ attraction and retention efforts, says David Krieger, regional vice-president of benefits consulting at BFL Canada. “Employees are looking for their employers to provide more support in all aspects of their lives, including building their families. We’re also seeing surrogacy coverage becoming more prevalent in Canada […]
A majority (84 per cent) of U.S. employers are planning to make changes to their leave programs in the next two years, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled more than 500 U.S. employers, found nearly three-quarters of those that have made or plan to make changes cited supporting attraction and […]
A story on how plan sponsors and insurers are considering covering weight-loss drugs as part of a broader push towards more inclusive benefits was the most-read benefits story on BenefitsCanada.com this year. Here are the 10 most popular benefits news stories of the year: 1. How plan sponsors, insurers are considering coverage of weight-loss drugs amid rising […]
Since this month’s editorial is my farewell (for just five months) as I prepare for the birth of my second child at the end of 2023, sitting down to write it prompted me to look back at my editorial three years ago when I was getting ready to become a parent for the first time. […]
Inclusivity has long been a priority at Capital One Canada and its employee leave programs are no exception. As a result of this focus, the financial company is seeing more men taking parental leave — by September 2023, men accounted for 64 per cent of employees who used the benefit. The organization offers 26 weeks […]